An Eternity of Lies
by psychoticbedhead
Summary: Hiei stood frozen in shock. His hands clenched by his side, and his mind racing in confusion. He stared into those haunted violet eyes and suddenly he knew that the last five decades had been a lie. He heard a thud behind him and slowly turned. Before him, was the prince of the Spirit World begging for the team's assistance on his hands and knees...
1. Prologue

This is my first fanfiction ever! And I am really excited to finally be uploading a story. Thanks so much for reading. :D Constructive criticism is much appreciated.

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BTW! This story takes place after the demon tournament. But in this story Koenma has not overthrown his father.

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Koenma sat at his desk pensively. His hands clasped and his eyes trained directly in front of him towards the double doors. The clock above his head ticked at a steady pace and with each passing second Koenma grew tenser. His expression seemed to grow darker, his frown deepening. George shifted next to him and threw an uneasy glance at his boss. For the last minute he had been waiting for Koenma to shout an order at him, anything other than this silence. But after five minutes passed he realized no such command would be coming.

"Sir Koenma, is there anything bothering you?" asked George.

Silence greeted his question. What had happened he wondered. What could possibly turn his whiny childish boss into this silent brooding toddler next to him?

"George I want you to find Botan and tell her to gather the team. Make sure no one sees you," Koenma calmly stated.

"But sir! You know your father doesn't want them anywhere near spirit world. He'd give you a thousand spankings for this. Besides they are no longer under your employment" George exclaimed.

"And that is why you are making sure no one sees you" Koenma answered.

"I really don't think this is a good idea sir" George retorted.

"Just do it George!" Koenma screamed as he slammed his hands down on the desk.

"Ye-yes sir!" George saluted as he ran towards the doors.

As the doors shut behind him George let out a breath and slowed to a walk. He was used to his boss shouting at him, but today seemed different. What could possibly make Koenma so anxious? It couldn't have been the recent reports could it? George didn't even know Koenma read them half the time. He stamped like a madman after all. Suddenly he paused. Couldn't Koenma have just paged Botan to his office? If he was asking George to personally find her and pass along a message then the matter must be serious enough to hide from his father. George hoped it wasn't another theft. Sure they gained two allies because of the last one, but the paperwork and punishments had been horrid. George shuddered at the thought and continued his trek towards the Grim Reaper Lounge hoping that he hadn't just jinxed himself.

Meanwhile back in the office, Koenma let out a long sad sigh. He opened the top right drawer of his desk and reached under the stack of papers waiting to be stamped. After a bit of rummaging he pulled out a photograph that had been torn in half. It was old and faded, and the only thing keeping it together was a piece of tape. He slowly reached out his fingers and caressed the face of the figure in the photo.

"I promise to make things right" Koenma whispered as he bowed his head and held the photo to his chest.

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Please tell me what you guys think. I would greatly appreciate it. :)


	2. Chapter 1

An Eternity of Lies Ch.1

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TimesUnfetteredImaginationBomb: Thank you so much for the review! I'm glad you enjoyed it so far. you seriously made my day when you wrote me my very first review. :D

SakiHanajima1: Thank you so much! I'm definitely working on updates :) And what has Koenma so torn will be revealed soon. I promise. ;)

Jessica: I'm so glad you're excited about what's coming up next. I promise to update soon :) Thanks for the review! :D

And thanks to my new followers too! :D (Kinda sounds like I have minions now jkjk XD)

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"_There is no one who does not carry scars on his heart. If there were someone in the world like that he would be a shallow soul." - Hiei_

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Hiei sat on the highest tree branch he could find and stared at the tear gem nestled in the middle of his palm. He had finally gotten it back after years of searching, and could again feel the calm washing over him as he stared into its depths. It was his day off from patrol, and he was glad for the break from those idiotic humans. Today, he could relax and let his mind wander any way it wished.

At first, he thought of his sister, wondering if she too was looking at their mother's gem. But as those thoughts drifted away his mind decided to take him in a different direction. For the first time in decades his mind decided to bring up the painful memories of his past. His thoughts were random and sluggish, but as he got more comfortable they strayed from his life with the bandits to a time when he was at his weakest. The same time that he vowed to throw away his emotions for good because they were useless and easily manipulated.

The most prominent memory that resurfaced at this point had involved the very tear gem he held. For the first time, the tear gem could not bring him peace. Instead, it brought him pain and anger. He remembered now. When he was still naïve and emotional, he had planned to give the gem to someone as a sign of his devotion. Yes, other than his sister, he treasured the gem above all else. But at one small moment in time, there had been another. And as his thoughts strayed to this person he clenched his fist and grit his teeth. He would never be so stupid again. Never again would he trust someone so deeply, because the heart that he was once so willing to give was now cold and black from their betrayal.

With his mood ruined, Hiei stood up with a scowl. For a moment he stared out into the distance until he spotted Mukuro's bug life fortress. He took off at a quick run, jumping from tree branch to tree branch. He was angry now and needed to blow off some steam. A good brawl with Mukuro would take his mind off his past.

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Yusuke sighed and sat back on his little folding chair. The lunch rush had just ended and he was finally able to catch a break from the stifling heat that was coming from his ramen stall. Yusuke didn't really mind serving ramen, but it was the middle of summer. The heat was killing him. In fact, he was surprised nothing had caught on fire yet. The cool towel he had around his neck wasn't doing much and he was becoming crankier by the minute.

"Hello? Anyone there? I'd like a bowl of miso ramen please!" said a voice from behind the hanging banners.

Yusuke scowled and debated whether or not he should answer. Perhaps if he stayed still enough the person would leave. With this in mind Yusuke shifted into a more comfortable position and laid the towel over his face. Maybe a short nap would help him overcome the heat.

"Hellooooo..!" the same person said obnoxiously, "I know you're here Yusuke! So you might as well just come out!"

With a groan Yusuke sat up from his seat.

"What do you want lady! I'm taking a damn break!" Yusuke snarled.

"Hmph! And to think I thought you would enjoy a visit from an old friend," the customer replied.

"Wha…? Botan?" Yusuke exclaimed.

"Well took you long enough Yusuke," Botan said crossing her arms.

"What are you doing here?" Yusuke asked suspiciously.

"Now what makes you think I'm here on some sort of hidden agenda?" Botan said nervously.

"I didn't. You just told me." Yusuke replied, "Tell diaper butt I want nothing to do with his crap. He can fix his own problems."

"But Yusuke! I'm just here to visit an old friend," Botan said.

"Yeah? Well visit when you're not on duty," Yusuke replied tersely as he started wiping the counter.

"Yusuke, I know you don't want anything to do with spirit world but Koenma really needs your help," Botan said as she bowed her head.

"Doesn't he have some other lackey he can ask?" Yusuke said.

"No, he doesn't. I don't know why he wants to see you, but he told me to assemble the entire team. He sent George to tell me personally. Whatever it is it must be serious enough that he has to hide it from his father," Botan said quietly.

Yusuke squinted his eyes at Botan; trying to see if there were any lies lacing her words. Finally he sighed and put his towel down.

"Fine. I'll do it. But this is the last time. I mean it." Yusuke said as he crossed his arms.

"Oh! Thank you so much Yusuke! Now to gather the others!" Botan exclaimed.

Yusuke's eye twitched. "Wait! You haven't called them yet? Botan you little…"

"Now's not the time for name calling Yusuke. I'll meet you at the park near your apartment at 2. That should be enough time to close your shop and give Keiko a nice big smooch," Botan yelled quickly as she waved and skipped away.

Yusuke stared after Botan dumbfounded. He slowly reached for the towel and when he finally processed Botan's words he grit his teeth and squeezed the towel as hard as he could. He grinned evilly and imagined the towel was Botan's neck.

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Suichi Minamino wasn't a loner. He just preferred being around plants more than he liked being around people. Of course his family was an exception to this, but sometimes even he needed some alone time from his role as the perfect son. The demon who shared his soul also would much rather steal from the people around him than make friends, so having some time to himself was much appreciated. Currently, he was lying in the rose bushes in the backyard of his home absentmindedly stroking the petals and coaxing the flowers to bloom. After the demon tournament it seemed life had gotten quite monotonous. He wasn't complaining or anything. He chose the life of a normal human teenager himself, but it was hard to adjust after all the adventures he had been on as Kurama.

"It seems you've been doing well Botan," Kurama suddenly said.

"Oh, Kurama! I didn't see you there," Botan said sheepishly.

"Of course," Kurama replied indulgently, "so tell me. What does Koenma need?"

"Why does everyone think I'm here on Koenma's orders? I could just be visiting," Botan exclaimed while stamping her foot.

Kurama merely smiled serenely and looked up at her. After a few moments Botan's composure began to crack. With a huff she crossed her arms and turned her head.

"Koenma needs some assistance with something important that he doesn't want his father knowing about. We'll be meeting at the park near Yusuke's apartment at 2," Botan said.

"Hm. Sounds interesting. All right, you've caught my attention. I'll be there." Kurama said as he sat up.

"Well, you were much easier to convince than Yusuke," Botan mumbled as she summoned her oar.

"I'll see you at 2," Botan continued with a smile.

Kurama politely nodded in reply and watched as Botan soared away. He stood up with little effort and gave the roses one last bit of energy before calmly walking towards his house. Seems he might have to take out the more dangerous seeds in his collection after all.

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"Yukina my sweet!" Kuwabara screamed as he ran up the stairs to Genkai's temple, "the great Kazuma has arrived!"

Upon his arrival at the top of the steps silence answered him. With a confused look, Kuwabara walked towards the doors of the temple. He entered and called for Yukina again.

"Huh…where did everybody go?" Kuwabara wondered as he scratched his head.

He headed towards the main visiting area of the temple. Perhaps there was a visitor and Genkai and Yukina were indisposed. With this in mind, Kuwabara arrived in front of the door and peeked through the crack between the door and the doorframe. When he spotted Yukina's blue hair he immediately slammed it open and knelt in front of Yukina as he grabbed her hands.

"Beautiful Yukina the great Kazuma has come to visit," Kazuma simpered.

"Hello to you too Kuwabara," an annoyed Botan said.

"Oh! Botan! I didn't know you were here," Kuwabara replied letting go of Yukina's hands.

"Clearly," replied Botan sarcastically as Kuwabara returned his adoring gaze to Yukina.

"I'll go make some tea," Yukina said as she stood up.

"I'll help you," Kuwabara immediately announced.

"Sit down you moron," Genkai snarled.

Kuwabara quickly sat down and looked at the table. Botan thanked Genkai and turned towards Kuwabara.

"Kuwabara, I'm here on Koenma's behalf. He asked me to gather the team for something urgent," Botan stated seriously.

"What? You know I'm done with all that spirit world crap," Kuwabara replied, "Besides, I know my own strength. I'm not going to be much help against high level demons."

"Perhaps you can be of some help Kuwabara. I don't know what Koenma needs from all of you but your spirit awareness could be a great help," Botan said tentatively.

"I don't know Botan, I'm in high school now. I have responsibilities and I'm not the same guy that would jump into a fight swinging his sword like a stick," Kuwabara replied regretfully.

At this moment, Yukina entered the room holding a tray of tea. Kuwabara immediately jumped up to relieve Yukina of the tray. As Botan watched, an idea began to form.

"Well, I see it can't be helped. It's quite disappointing, but what's done is done I guess," Botan stated airily as she stood up dramatically.

"Is there something wrong Botan?" asked Yukina worriedly.

"Oh no, I wouldn't want to trouble you with my problems Yukina," Botan said with a pout.

"If there is any way I can assist you I'll gladly volunteer," Yukina said smiling.

"Well you see spirit world is in a bit of trouble. We need some strong fighters to come and help us, but you know how hard it is to find loyal honorable fighters." Botan forlornly said.

"Oh! I see. Kazuma's a strong fighter. He's honorable too. I'm sure he could help you Botan. You wouldn't mind would you?" Yukina turned to Kuwabara and asked.

Kuwabara looked down at Yukina and blushed when they met eyes. He knew Botan was manipulating him by using Yukina, but Yukina continued to smile up at him obliviously. Kuwabara could feel his resolve cracking and finally he turned to Botan.

"I'll do it. But it doesn't mean I have to like it," Kuwabara said moodily.

"That's all I ask," Botan jumped up and replied.

"I'll see you at 2 at the park near Yusuke's apartment," Botan stated before running out the door.

"Now to deal with our most troublesome member," Botan mumbled as she soared through the sky on her oar.

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Wahoo! Another chapter done and uploaded. :D Keeping everyone in character is hard! Wow! Phew! Hopefully I didn't butcher their personalities too bad. :/ And once again, constructive criticism is always appreciated! Thank you for reading! :)


	3. Chapter 2

An Eternity of Lies Ch. 2

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Thanks to TimesUnfetteredImaginationBomb, SakiHanajima1, and lilnightmare17 for the reviews! :D They really make me happy haha. :)

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"_I hate to say it, but that's hardly hygienic. You don't know how many creatures that sword has cut through." – Hiei_

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Hiei's spar with Mukuro had decimated quite a bit of forest. There were smoldering logs surrounding him and craters littered the clearing. Mukuro sat a few yards away on one of the surviving logs. Her chin was cradled in her hand and her elbow rested upon her knee. She kept her gaze trained upon Hiei, who even after the spar had not stopped hacking away at the burning trees.

"What's gotten you in such a mood Hiei?" Mukuro asked.

Hiei didn't reply and continued his hacking. Mukuro frowned and debated on whether or not she should stop him. With her decision made, Mukuro stood up and approached Hiei. When she was three feet away she heard the sound of running footsteps to her left. Hiei paused his swinging to turn towards the noise, and they both stood waiting for the source of the noise to come to them. A few moments later a brown lizard demon scampered into the clearing.

"Lord Hiei, there is a message for you sir," the lizard said hurriedly.

Hiei grunted in reply before turning back towards the tree. Mukuro frowned at him and turned to the messenger.

"Who is the message from?" Mukuro asked, "and what do they want?"

"I don't know ma'am, but they say it's urgent. The call was from someone named Botan," the lizard replied hastily.

Hiei paused in his swinging and turned once more towards the messenger. In a flash the sword was pointed directly at the lizard's snout. The lizard froze in fear and stared crossed eyed at the sword. Hiei grunted and sheathed the sword and walked past the lizard. The lizard shuddered and stumbled on his shaky legs. He turned as he heard a grunt behind him.

"Well? Are you going to take me to them or not?" Hiei asked emotionlessly.

The lizard squeaked and steadied himself.

"Of course sir. Follow me," he replied nervously and scampered off towards the fortress.

Hiei rolled his eyes and followed at a steady walk with Mukuro watching the proceedings with an amused glint in her eyes. Seems whatever had been bothering Hiei would soon be forgotten. After all, a mission for the spirit world usually involved some bloody fights. Always the perfect remedy to Hiei's brooding.

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As the clock struck two, three figures could be seen heading towards the center of the park neighboring Sariyaski Jr. High. One figure walked calmly, back straight, and relaxed. The other two figures, on the other hand, were slouched over and grumbling to themselves as they trudged along.

"That stupid grim reaper. I'm going to choke her to death when I see her," Yusuke grumbled.

"Ah, Yusuke, I see you haven't changed at all since I last saw you," Kurama said serenely as he approached.

"Hey Kurama, what are you doing here?" Kuwabara asked.

"Botan said she was gathering the team remember? Moron," Yusuke drawled.

"Say that to my face Urameshi," Kuwabara yelled as he stomped over.

"I just did you idiot," Yusuke replied.

The two boys slammed their foreheads together and started yelling insults at each other. Kurama stood to the side with a bemused expression on his face. He figured they would stop soon enough and he should wait out their bickering in a shadier area. With that in mind, Kurama walked towards the nearest tree and placed his hand against its trunk. He closed his eyes and felt for the trees energy. The tree eagerly responded and Kurama could see flashes of the surrounding areas in the park. His hand slowly slid from the bark as he smiled.

"It's been awhile Hiei," Kurama said as he opened his eyes and looked up.

Two crimson eyes met his before turning away. Hiei grunted and folded his arms behind his head before leaning back. He blinked before turning his gaze towards the two boys who were still bickering in the hot sun. Kuwabara had summoned his spirit sword by now and Yusuke was charging up energy to fire his spirit gun.

"Hn, it seems the detective and the buffoon still waste their energy foolishly," Hiei scoffed.

Yusuke suddenly perked up and stepped to the side as Kuwabara charged. Kuwabara fell forwards when his swing met nothing, and he fell ungracefully on his face.

"Urameshi! Stop moving around so I can kick your ass," Kuwabara spluttered as he leaped to his feet.

"Hah! As if you could ever beat me! I could take you on with my eyes closed," Yusuke boasted.

"You won't be saying that after I beat you to the ground," Kuwabara exclaimed as he readied his sword.

Kurama decided that now was the time to step in and approached them at a steady pace. He put his hands up in a placating manner and smiled.

"Now, now boys. Let's all get along until Botan gets here," Kurama said.

Both boys crossed their arms and turned away from each other with a huff. After being properly chastised all three of them made it back towards the shade of the tree. As they were sitting down Kuwabara finally noticed the fire demon's presence.

"Hey shorty's here" Kuwabara said surprised.

"Hn, about time you noticed my presence. It seems your spirit awareness is still at the same level of a toddler," Hiei sneered.

"You wanna fight? Kuwabara growled as he jumped up once more.

"Hn, you're not worth it," Hiei replied dismissively.

Kuwabara fumed as he sat back down muttering insults under his breath. For a moment he had thought Hiei would have at least been glad to see everyone again. Kurama and Yusuke laughed to themselves quietly. Same old Hiei they both thought. A few more minutes passed before they spotted Botan flying towards them on her oar. She seemed a bit flustered and when she landed she forewent greetings and got to the point.

"Now that everyone's here we need to get to the movie theater quickly," Botan said as she turned to lead the way.

"Gee, what's got you in such a rush Botan? You could of at least said hi," Yusuke grumbled at her back.

Botan ignored him and continued walking. Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara got up from under the tree and brushed their pants off before following after her. Hiei jumped from the tree branches and silently fell in line with them. The trek to the movie theater was silent. And when they arrived they were led to the back entrance and into one of the empty theaters in the very back. The rows of chairs that usually lined the theater were missing and the floor was bare of the usual carpeting.

"The theater is currently under construction and the construction workers are off duty today. So we should be able to have the meeting here without any interruptions," Botan explained as they stepped into the middle of the room.

"Why are we here? Shouldn't we be meeting in Koenma's office?" Yusuke asked.

"Unfortunately Yusuke, what I am about to tell you is top secret and cannot get back to my father," Koenma said as he stepped out from the shadows in his teenage form.

"Huh. Looks like the toddler stopped teething," Yusuke grinned.

"Ha ha Yusuke," Koenma sarcastically replied.

"As I was saying before I was interrupted," Koenma continued with a pointed look," I called you all here to request your help. This request is a personal one and I understand if you wish to refuse it. But hear me out first."

As Koenma spoke the projector at the back of the room lit up and an image was displayed upon the screen. A young girl with wide violet eyes and long straight lavender hair stared back at them. A small serene smile graced her lips. She was kneeling in the grass with her arms wrapped around Koenma's shoulders. In the picture, Koenma was without his pacifier despite standing in his toddler form, and a huge smile lit up his face. The most striking detail of the photo though, was the long tear in the middle of the photo that was held together by a few pieces of yellowing tape.

"I need you to help me find this woman," Koenma started to say.

"Who's the chick Koenma?" Yusuke snickered, "Your girlfriend run away or something?"

Hiei stiffened beside him and his knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists tightly. His eyes were trained on the screen, and his glare seemed to be burning holes through it. Kurama's eyes slid over to his friend; his curiosity peaked. What could have caused this type of reaction he wondered. Kuwabara and Yusuke noticed nothing and continued their taunting.

"If you must know," Koenma said testily," she is my mother."

"What?" Yusuke exclaimed.

"She looks like a thirteen year old," Kuwabara continued," you look at least eighteen in your teenage form."

"So what do you want from us toddler?" Yusuke asked, "She's probably an old hag by now."

"We in the spirit world age differently," Koenma replied moodily," and she isn't my biological mother. In fact, she's quite a few centuries younger than me in age. Her mentality was that of a grown adult though."

"You guys must have had an uh…interesting relationship," Yusuke leered.

"It's not like that!" Koenma shouted flustered.

"Why don't we let Koenma speak?" Kurama interrupted.

He was curious about who the woman was, and Youko seemed to think she looked familiar. From where he did not recall, but she must have been important to cause Hiei to react so strongly.

"Yeah, yeah," Yusuke drawled as he waved his hand.

Koenma cleared his throat and waved his hand. The picture changed and the same woman sat on a chair in the center of the picture. She looked at the camera with sad eyes. A fake smile adorned her face. Standing to the left and right of her were two young boys around the age of five. The two identical children shared the same violet eyes as the girl, and instead of smiling, they scowled at the camera. Behind her a man with dark brown hair and violet eyes stood stiffly with his hand upon her shoulder. A woman with lavender hair and dark black eyes stood besides him with a tearful smile.

"Back then people married for political reasons rather than love," Koenma started solemnly," She was forced into an arranged marriage when she was just a girl. Her family was an old prominent clan of barrier keepers, but the clan was losing prestige. She was the first child in centuries to inherit their power of barrier making so strongly. When the council found out they jumped at a chance to bring her into the palace. My biological mother had left centuries ago. She had also been forced into marriage, but she chose to neglect her own child and her duties and was soon kicked out of the palace. Because of this, the council felt my father needed another wife. They knew she cared greatly for her family, and so they blackmailed her into marrying my father. She agreed to keep her clan safe and was married to my father soon after."

As this point Koenma exhaled and looked down at the ground. His eyes sorrowful and his mouth turned into a sad frown. The others remained silent as he collected himself. With a deep breath, Koenma continued his story.

"My father never cared for her. He ignored her and so did I at first. I figured she was another gold digger. But one day I heard noise outside my room and went to investigate. She was shuffling and panicking right outside my door. Apparently she had snuck out and gotten lost and couldn't figure out which way to go. When she saw me she asked me where the gardens were. I asked her why she wanted to see them. And she told me she wanted to see the stars. She just looked so lost, so I lead her to them," Koenma said as he smiled wistfully," When we got there she flopped down on her back in the grass and just lay there staring at the sky. When she noticed me hovering she pulled me down next to her despite my protests. I fell asleep after that, and the next morning I woke up in my bed. She had carried me back and changed me into my nightclothes. I may have been older than her but this was the first time I had felt something like a mother's affection. So I took advantage of it and stayed in my toddler form whenever she was around."

"That's all nice and dandy, but what does that have to do with why we're here?" Yusuke asked impatiently.

Koenma's eye twitched. Kurama sighed and shook his head. He was actually quite surprised Yusuke hadn't interrupted earlier. Kuwabara nodded next to Yusuke with his arms crossed as Botan opened her mouth to reprimand Yusuke. Hiei beat her to it.

"Let him continue and shut your mouth before I shut it for you," Hiei snarled venomously.

"Geez, what's got your panties in a twist three eyes," Yusuke retorted eyeing Hiei wearily.

"I want this over with and quickly," Hiei grunted before jumping up and making himself comfortable in the rafters. His hand came up to grasp his mother's tear gem. The glow of his angry red eyes the only thing visible from their vantage point.

A tense silence took over the room and Kuwabara shifted uncomfortably. Botan let out an uneasy giggle and turned to Koenma.

"Koenma, if I am not mistaken, you said your mother was a barrier maker correct? Was the Kekkai Barrier her doing?," Kurama questioned, breaking the silence.

Jumping at the sudden noise Koenma turned to Kurama.

"Yes, while there had been a barrier for many centuries, it was my mother who made it what it is today. At the time, it was nothing more than a glorified fence, so my father sent my mother to create a stronger barrier. It wasn't until later that I learned that my father was hoping she wouldn't make it back from the trip," Koenma replied.

"I knew I didn't like that bastard for a reason," Kuwabara growled.

"Hate to say it, but I agree with Kuwabara," Yusuke announced.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kuwabara shouted.

"Figure it out idiot," Yusuke yelled back.

Kurama rubbed his temples with another sigh. He was seriously starting to contemplate gagging the two boys. Koenma's face was starting to turn redder as the seconds passed. Hiei ignored to ruckus underneath him; his mind racing. Kurama noticed his silence and looked up. He could faintly see Hiei's form. Whatever Hiei was thinking, it must have been extremely important if even the shouting didn't bother him.

"Would you show some respect!" Botan suddenly screeched before hitting both boys over the head.

Both boys fell to the ground from the impact. They stayed sitting crossed legged and rubbed their heads. Botan turned around and smiled widely at Koenma and asked him to continue. Koenma shivered when he saw the smile before collecting himself.

"Like I said. The marriage between my father and my mother was mainly so the council could gain control of her powers. There was no love in the relationship and so my father jumped at the chance to get her out of the palace for good. I knew nothing of his plans at the time. I didn't even know he resented the marriage. She always made it seem as if they got along when she spoke to me. So when my father brought the subject of demons up the council quickly agreed that the demons needed to be contained. They didn't realize until later that my father wanted to appoint the job to his wife. She had no choice in the matter, and the day that she left to start the first section of the barrier she didn't expect to come back," Koenma said with a furrowed brow," but to my father's surprise she did. And every time he sent her out she came back. They were attacked a few times, but she survived even if the guards didn't. A few guards had even told him that despite wandering around demon world, she would come back completely unharmed. Father grew angrier every time she came back. It took twenty years to create the barrier and when there was only one a month before the barrier's completion, father sent out a spy to follow her."

Koenma paused in his story. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. His pained expression stopping any comment Yusuke was about to utter.

"She was so happy during those years, and I never realized," Koenma whispered," I felt so betrayed at the time, and it wasn't until recently that I uncovered the truth. That torn photo is the only photo of her I have left in my possession. How could I be so stupid?" he berated himself quietly.

"Wait, what happened? I don't get it" Kuwabara said confused.

"When she was making the barrier she fell in love with a demon," Koenma angrily spat," and father used this information to destroy his marriage and to get rid of her."

As Koenma uttered these words, a long silence swept the room. The boys looked down at the floor solemnly and Botan held in her tears. Up in the rafters Hiei's wide eyes stared unblinking at the wall in front of him. His hand slowly uncurled from the tear gem and fell lifelessly to hang by his side.

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Wooo...sah! Another chapter done and out! I never realized how hard it was to write until now haha! But it's way more fun! :D So...yeah! Thanks for reading. Reviews are always welcome :) Virtual hugs for everyone! See you guys next chapter!


	4. Chapter 3

An Eternity of Lies Ch. 3

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Third chapter everyone! :D Hope you guys enjoy~! Thanks to Sanity'sRival, lilnightmare17, and Killer Karebear for the reviews. I'm so glad you guys are so eager for updates and enjoy what I've written so far. :D

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"_Yes, he's so talented I'm reluctant to make the kill." - Hiei_

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Koenma collected himself and waved his hand once more.

"My mother was treated like a common criminal when my father found out about the affair," Koenma said emotionlessly," he made sure the entire kingdom knew of her sin. She was completely disgraced…Father made sure of that."

He turned as the screen changed to an image of a lavish chamber. From the image, it could be assumed that the camera capturing the image was near the ceiling. It was pointed diagonally downward towards three rows of high backed wooden chairs. The room itself was circular, and the rows created a semi circle around the room. The rows were also stacked so all the occupants could get a good vantage point. In each chair there sat a member of King Enma's council. On the other side of the room was a set of double doors. And on each side of those doors were a set of bleachers reserved for the palace workers and other such commoners. With a nod from Koenma, the video started to play.

* * *

The double doors opened with a bang, and the chamber fell silent with anticipation. Two guards came in each holding the elbow of the woman that Koenma called his mother. Her once silky hair was now matted with dirt and sweat. She was clad in nothing but a thin white kimono, a far cry from the colorful layered kimonos she usually wore. Her arms were handcuffed in front of her, and each step seemed to take quite an effort. The woman stayed completely still when she was pushed into a kneeling position in the middle of the room. Her eyes though, burned with a fire, as if to say she had not been beat. King Enma who sat at the very top middle chair looked down upon her and vowed to snuff out that fire before the night was over. Chatter filled the chamber once more as the occupants witnessed the state of their disgraced Queen. The sound of a gavel being brought down on a sound block echoed across the room. When silence once more returned to the chamber an old man who had pounded the gavel spoke.

"Takahashi Emi, you are brought here in front of the palace court to be tried for your crimes of adultery and fraternizing with a demon, the known enemy of our people," he stated loudly. "You are also charged for attempting to flee the spirit world and your duties with this creature. What do you say to these charges?"

The silence following his question was suffocating, and the spectators held their breath as Emi shifted for the first time. Her bowed head slowly rose until her eyes locked with the king's, and she smirked.

"I plead guilty on all charges," she spoke confidently without breaking eye contact.

Loud gasps were heard and the noise level rose once more. People were shouting in outrage, and a few sobs could be heard. The old man brought his gavel down numerous times until the crowd silenced once more.

"Do you understand the gravity of what you have just admitted to Ms. Takahashi?" the old man asked gravely.

"I admitted to having a relationship with a man who was not my husband. If he happened to be a demon then so be it. I will endure whatever punishment you deem fit," Emi replied defiantly.

"We understand you are young Ms. Takahashi. If you repent for your sins now the council may lessen your punishment," said the old man.

"Hah!" Emi scoffed," You forced me into this marriage, and now you wish to hide your own mistakes by using my age as an excuse. I may be young but I understand what goes on around me as much as you do. You talk of my sin, but all I did was love as only I could. You, on the other hand, are all power hungry fools lead by the most corrupt of all men, King Enma. You speak of adultery, then why don't we ask our king. How many women has he forced into his bed since our marriage?"

The council shouted in outrage while the spectators remained eerily silent. The spectators stared wide-eyed at the young girl before them. A few young servant girls closed their eyes and silently thanked her. Remembering the times she would comfort them after they came back from the king's bed. Emi's father clenched his fists; for once wishing his daughter was not so headstrong. His wife cried at his side.

King Enma stood. "Silence!" he screamed, his voice booming throughout the chamber. His eyes were filled with rage, and for the first time his people could see him lose his composure.

"How dare you accuse me of such treachery when you are the whore. If you shall not repent then the greatest punishment is what you deserve. I sentence your soul to wandering the labyrinth for eternity. Effective immediately. Once the courtroom empties your punishment will commence, and your soul will be taken from your body to travel the maze," Kind Enma angrily snarled.

Emi's lips curled once more into a smile and she raised her bound hands up to her chin level. She then proceeded to flip the king off.

"I'll take on whatever you throw at me," Emi said challengingly," If I cannot be with him now, then I definitely don't want to spend it anywhere near you."

King Enma fumed silently before collecting himself. His face changed to one of sorrow and he looked down at Emi as if she were a child.

"You have truly been corrupted by that demon. His evil has seeped into your very soul. End the trial. We will not be able to reach her despite our efforts" King Enma said solemnly.

With a slow nod the old man raised his arm and brought down the gavel for the last time.

"Takahashi Emi, you are sentenced to an eternity in the labyrinth. Effective immediately," he said quietly.

At this point the video stopped and everyone's focus was once more on Koenma.

"This was all anyone saw of the trial," he said," what you are about to see next is something even I had not witnessed until I dug up the old footage a few weeks ago."

* * *

The video fast-forwarded until only a few spectators were left.

Enma looked on as the last few spectators filed out of the courtroom. His expression was still a mask of sadness and regret, but his eyes burned with an evil glee. He started making his way down the steps as the chamber emptied of everyone but the two guards that had led Emi in. When he had stepped in front of Emi he looked to the guards.

"Please leave. I wish to carry her punishment out in private. Allow me this last moment with my wife before I must send her away," Enma said quietly.

When the door closed behind the guards Enma's face relaxed. He took hold of Emi's chin and looked her in the eyes.

"Even now you stare at me with such defiance. When will you learn that your place is beneath me?" Enma drawled.

Emi did not reply and continued to glare at him. She tried to jerk her face away but Enma's grip tightened and kept her in place.

"I had you followed you know. It seemed so strange, how you kept coming back alive despite your guard being made up of the weakest members," Enma continued," Imagine my surprise when I was told you were seeing a demon while you worked on that barrier. What a perfect opportunity to be rid of you."

Enma's face was now adorned with an evil grin. Emi's glare intensified and with a jerk she pulled her head back and spat in Enma's face. Enma growled and wiped his face before backhanding her. She fell to her side, her hair hiding her face. Enma reached down and pulled her up by her hair.

"I can't wait to enact your punishment. Your soul will be wandering for eternity, but the question is how to extract it? Usually we put the person to sleep before we take their soul, but I'm sure you don't need such a handicap," Enma hissed.

Emi's silence continued. Enma's anger grew, as he received no reaction. He gave her hair another tug and placed his unoccupied hand on the middle of her chest. He leaned forward so that his mouth was next to her ear.

"Before I take your soul, there's one more thing you need to know," Enma whispered," You won't have to worry about your lover any longer. I made sure he was good and dead."

Enma moved back just in time to see the devastated expression on Emi's face and the light die from her eyes. With a laugh Enma pulled his hand back slowly and Emi let out a blood-curdling scream as her soul was forcefully extracted from her body.

* * *

The image suddenly fractured and stopped. A crash was heard and the five occupants who stood in front of the screen turned around in shock. Hiei stood in the back of the theater with his sword unsheathed. His eyes were impossibly wide and his breathing was erratic and heavy. The projector next to him was now nothing more than a pile of sliced up metal and glass that littered the floor.

"Hiei?" Kurama asked as he hesitantly approached the fire demon.

He watched as Hiei's eyes started to focus once more on his surroundings and land on the broken projector. The hand gripping the hilt of the sword slowly relaxed and with a quick movement the sword was sheathed once more. Hiei's eyes met Kurama's before he turned away. With a grunt he walked past Kurama to the front of the room acting as if he hadn't just lost his composure and destroyed the projector. His actions were soon forgotten however, when Kuwabara punched the wall next to him.

"This seriously pisses me off. That's no way to treat a woman," he growled angrily.

Yusuke cracked his knuckles and agreed. "I really feel like kicking Enma's ass right now," he said as he grinned maniacally.

"I'm sorry Yusuke, but that will have to wait," Koenma said, "I didn't call you here for that. I need your help finding her. Retrieving her soul is more important."

"From what I have heard, the labyrinth is almost impossible to navigate and is filled with traps and illusion," Kurama said thoughtfully," Why do you suddenly wish for us to find her now?"

"As you know, I knew nothing of my father's hatred towards my mother. In fact, for a long time I hated her. The torn photo I showed you earlier was torn by me after the trial. I felt so betrayed and angry that she was contemplating leaving me behind to run off with some demon," Koenma replied," but a week ago the council sent a servant to clean out the chambers my mother used. It seems my father had kept up a good act of a mourning husband, and the council felt that cleaning up her chambers would help him move on."

Koenma took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. Kurama watched the prince intently. Yusuke and Kuwabara stood silently and listened. Hiei stood with his eyes closed but he too listened intently to what Koenma was saying. Botan walked over to Koenma's side and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"While cleaning up the servant found a kimono I had given to my mother. I don't know why I kept it but when I was smoothing it out I felt something crinkle," Koenma continued shakily," My mother had sewn a letter into the sleeve. It was addressed to me. She wrote of how apologetic she was and how much she loved me as her own child despite my actual age. She wrote about the demon she fell in love with, about her plans to run away and live with him. The worst part though was when she wrote about how father treated her."

Koenma looked up and locked eyes with Yusuke before he continued.

"I immediately dug through the old court cases. The video feed of mother's trial was in the private archives," Koenma said," Usually cases with people of higher status are made public because they are used as an example. I'm sure the council felt it was because father was mourning, but after the letter I got suspicious. I watched the tape even after the trial ended. And just when I was about to turn it off I saw my father get up. That was when I discovered the truth."

The boys exchanged glances before focusing back on Koenma.

"If you help me this will make you an enemy of all of spirit world, and I know this has nothing to do with you. But I don't have the strength or the power to take on the labyrinth, and I refuse to leave her in there any longer" Koenma stated with clenched fists.

When silence answered him, Koenma took a step forward and fell to his knees. Botan gave a shout of surprise and tried to pull him up. He pushed her hands away placed his own hands on the floor in front of him.

"I'll do anything just please help me," Koenma begged as his forehead met the floor.

Botan stood behind Koenma with her hand over her mouth while Kuwabara gaped openly. Hiei stared intently at the back of the spirit prince's head as he recalled Emi's haunted violet eyes right before her soul was ripped from her. Yusuke scratched the back of his head nervously.

"Gee how can I say no to that?" Yusuke asked sheepishly," A prince bowing down to a demon who'd of thought."

"No lady deserves that kind of treatment," Kuwabara stated with conviction," count me in."

"I was always curious about the labyrinth, perhaps I can figure out its secrets. I'm in as well," Kurama agreed.

Koenma looked up at them with teary eyes and smiled. Yusuke reached out a hand and helped him up. As Koenma brushed off his clothes he realized only three of the boys had answered. When he looked up, he was met with a crimson glare that made him cringe. The other three boys were staring at Hiei, two in confusion and one in contemplation. Botan hid behind Koenma as Hiei's glare intensified. Yusuke reached over and slapped Hiei on the back.

"So what do you say three eyes?" Yusuke asked.

"Hn, only if I get to kill Enma after," Hiei growled.

Yusuke laughed and placed his arm around Hiei's shoulders.

"That was the plan," Yusuke chortled," Alright, the team is back in business."

Koenma smiled widely at them before creating the portal that would lead to the entrance of the labyrinth.

"Thank you and good luck," Koenma told them," I'll hide you guys from my dad's gaze as long as possible."

"Hah! We can take whatever he sends at us," Yusuke stated confidently," right guys?"

"Uh, Urameshi. Kurama and Hiei already went in," Kuwabara answered.

"What? Those bastards," Yusuke growled before jumping into the portal.

"Wait for me Urameshi!" Kuwabara yelled frantically before he scrambled into the portal.

As the portal closed Koenma turned and faced Botan.

"Botan, things are about to get messy in the spirit world," Koenma said," I understand if you wish to leave the office. I won't hold it against you."

"Now why would I do that?" Botan asked incredulously," Your not planning anything stupid are you?"

"I plan to overthrow my father once my mother is safe," Koenma stated seriously.

"Then I'm with you all the way," Botan replied with her fist raised.

"Thank you, Botan," Koenma said before he looked up with determination," Let's go. We have a revolution to plan."

"Yes sir," Botan saluted before following behind him.

* * *

So...Takahashi Emi

I don't understand Japanese except for the few phrases I learned from various anime. But apparently Takahashi means high bridge. So I figured I could stretch that a bit and say it's a barrier. So that's where the surname came from. Emi supposedly means beautiful blessing. She's a blessing to Koenma and Hiei in one way or another. So that's how I chose her name. :D

I wonder if there should be a side pairing. Botan and Koenma maybe?

Review please! :) Tell me what you think!


	5. Chapter 4

An Eternity of Lies Ch. 4

* * *

Hey guys! Chapter 4 is here~! I'm trying to stay on schedule with updating on Wednesdays and Saturdays but i have midterms coming up. I can probably manage, but just in case a chapter comes out a day late. You guys know why haha XD Well enough of my ramblings. Thanks so much to Killer Karebear, lilnightmare17, and Jasmine of the Night for the lovely reviews. And now onwards...

* * *

"_So this is the entrance to hell. It's drearier than I imagined." – Hiei_

* * *

The labyrinth had been created long ago when spirit world was first founded. It was on a different dimension entirely separate from the three worlds, and had since transformed into a lawless zone for the souls of the worst sinners. Usually these sinners consisted of mass murderers, rapists, drug dealers, and the like. Because of this, there were many different security measures placed upon the labyrinth. All kinds of barriers were erected around it, booby traps were placed throughout it, and magic spells saturated every inch of the structure. This was to keep the souls from ever escaping. Why you ask? Because if a soul could not escape, then it could not be reincarnated, and if it could not be reincarnated, it would never again cause problems for the spirit world. Now, the majority of these souls belonged to demons, but there were some bloodthirsty humans as well. But, in all of history, only one soul that had been placed in the labyrinth was a former resident of the spirit kingdom. This soul also happened to be the only soul without blood on her hands. This soul was Takahashi Emi's, the former queen of spirit world. Her sin, you may ask? Loving a person other than her husband.

* * *

The only known entrance to the labyrinth was said to be nothing extraordinary really. It was like any other stone archway. It had a few vines crawling up its two pillars and there was a series of symbols carved into the very top of the archway. These symbols were actually an old language that had been lost in time, but it had always been assumed that they spelled out the word labyrinth.

What was strange was what surrounded the arch. Or more precisely, what didn't. You see, the archway was supposedly placed as a bridge between two dimensions, and this connecting area was nothing but a huge expanse of black nothingness. There was no floor that anyone could see, and deep inky blackness seemed to spread all around the archway and within it. If a person were to walk around the archway, it was said that all they would see was a mirror image of the front. Some people had even argued over which side was the front and which was the back. But when it came down to it, it didn't matter. Because supposedly, whoever walked through that archway was doomed to never return.

* * *

A small pinprick of light permeated the darkness, and it grew bigger as the seconds passed. Soon the opening of a portal could be seen about 20 feet above where the floor should have been in the dark nothingness. It hovered in the air and without warning spat the four boys out before abruptly closing shut behind them. Kurama and Hiei quickly flipped over until their feet were facing the ground and landed with soft thuds. Kuwabara and Yusuke, on the other hand, weren't so lucky.

"Get off me you fatass!" Yusuke shouted as he threw Kuwabara off him.

"What the hell was that for?" Kuwabara exclaimed as he staggered to his feet.

"It seems we have arrived at the entrance to the labyrinth," Kurama said as he stared forward at the symbols etched into the stone.

Both boys paused in their bickering and looked over at Kurama before walking over to inspect the archway in the distance as well. Hiei stood to the far left of them with an impatient scowl on his face.

"Let's go," he said as he started towards the arch.

His three companions watched him in confusion before following him. Their strides were calm but they kept their guard up. This place had an eerie aura and they each chose not to speak in order to keep their senses alert for any oncoming danger. But as the minutes passed, they started to notice something strange. The archway wasn't getting any closer. As their irritation grew, their moods worsened until finally Hiei growled in frustration and glared in the direction of the archway. Kurama reached over and placed a calming hand on his shoulder.

"Perhaps we should stop and access the situation," he said wisely," this place has all kinds of enchantments placed upon it. We were foolish to think it would be easy to even enter."

Hiei grunted but chose not to respond.

"So what are we going to do?" Yusuke asked moodily before plopping down on the ground," We haven't gotten any closer to entering even though its twenty feet away."

"Maybe we could ask Botan," Kuwabara suggested as he sat down.

"Yeah? And how are we going to do that?" Yusuke asked testily, "'cause I don't know about you but I don't see any blue headed grim reapers anywhere nearby."

"You want to fight Urameshi?" Kuwabara growled through clenched teeth.

"Wait! Kuwabara's right." Kurama interrupted," Yusuke don't you have a communication mirror with you?"

"Yeah I think so," Yusuke replied thoughtfully as he paused to rummage through his pockets.

"Hah! Not feeling so smart now are you Urameshi?," Kuwabara puffed out his chest and gloated," Unlike you I graduated from middle school."

"Oh yes, and that's such a grand achievement," Hiei interrupted sarcastically.

"Hey! Other than Kurama I'm the only one here getting an education. I bet you can't even do basic Algebra," Kuwabara angrily replied as he jumped to his feet.

"Hn, what a useless skill, almost as useless as you are," Hiei sneered.

"You're seriously starting to piss me off!" Kuwabara yelled," Why are you even here anyways."

"Now, now," Kurama placated as he inhaled deeply," let's not fight. It seems there is something around the archway that intensifies negative emotions."

"You got lucky shrimp," Kuwabara muttered as he turned away from Hiei.

Hiei glared at his back as his hand inched towards the hilt of his sword.

"Aha!" Yusuke suddenly exclaimed," found it!"

He pulled out the communicator from his pocket and gave it a quick look over. When he deemed it still in working order he tossed it to Kurama. Hiei let his arm fall back limply to his side and walked closer. The faster he could get into the labyrinth the less time he would have to spend with the idiot. Kurama caught the communicator deftly before opening it up and pressing the call button. After a few rings Botan's face appeared in the screen, and the three boys crowded around to get a good view. Hiei stayed standing at the sidelines.

"Oh! Hello! I wasn't expecting a call so fast, I guess the labyrinth isn't as scary as people say," Botan said cheerfully.

"Actually Botan, we haven't been able to enter the maze," Kurama said sheepishly," We were wondering if you knew how to get in."

"Oh, I see. You'll have to ask Koenma about that. Only the royal family is allowed access to any records about the labyrinth," Botan replied apologetically," they don't want the information getting out to the more unsavory folk."

"Is he there now?" Kurama asked politely.

"Oh, right, yes! Give me one moment," Botan answered.

There was a brief moment of shuffling and hushed whispers before Koenma's face appeared on the screen.

"Yo!" Koenma greeted with fake cheer.

"Hey toddler! What gives?" Yusuke yelled into the communicator," You sent us here without telling us how to get into the damn maze."

Koenma's demeanor quickly changed as he folded his hands together in front of him.

"I apologize. It has been years since I have had anything to do with the labyrinth. I had forgotten about the first test." Koenma began," You see, the arch you see in the distance is merely an illusion for those who wish to retrieve and set free the souls of the damned. Any unwanted people who try to approach the arch are exposed to the pollen of a demon plant. It influences and increases negative emotions, and usually by the time any unwanted visitors realize something is wrong it is too late. Any who have tried to pass through have been weak-minded creatures. And all have ended up losing site of their goal and killing each other in a fit of blind rage. Any survivors that make it into the labyrinth die soon after from their injuries."

"Wait, so how are we going to get in if there's no entrance?" Kuwabara asked confused.

"Of course there's an entrance you imbecile," Hiei hissed, " It just isn't the archway."

"Correct Hiei," Koenma spoke as Kuwabara began to open his mouth," there is an entrance, but you just cannot see it."

"So how are we supposed to get in," Yusuke asked crossly.

"I don't know," Koenma replied uncertainly.

The four boys looked on in confusion, exchanging glances with growing irritation. Yusuke scratched the back of his head and Kuwabara stared into the darkness dazed. Kurama's mind raced with possibilities, but not one of his ideas seemed to be the solution he was looking for. Hiei watched them carefully a small frown on his face. His eyes traveled around in the darkness before landing on the archway. He contemplated their situation, and slowly his mouth slid into a demonic grin. With the others occupied he slowly reached for the hilt of his sword. With a quick movement he had the sword unsheathed, and with another he was speeding towards Yusuke's unsuspecting form. As if sensing the danger, Yusuke immediately jumped to the side, and barely dodged the killing blow. A thin trail of blood leaking from the small cut he received on his cheek. As the drop of blood hit the floor, the darkness around it rippled and the red blood seemed to glow in the inky blackness. Hiei watched it carefully before looking back at Yusuke.

"What the hell Hiei?" Yusuke shouted angrily," Are you trying to kill me?"

Hiei relaxed his stance and held the sword at his side. The malicious grin still gracing his face.

"Hn, you heard the prince. We won't be able to get in unless we kill each other. We still haven't settled our score Detective, and this is as good a time as any," Hiei drawled before once more attacking Yusuke.

"Yusuke! Hiei! Stop this at once!" Koenma cried frantically his face pressed to the screen.

"Guys don't fight. We can still figure something out," Kuwabara yelled frantically before facing Kurama, "We will right?"

Kurama still remained deep in thought, his hand under his chin as he watched the two fight. He ignored Koenma's cries and let the hand holding the communicator drop to his side. He turned to Kuwabara calmly and smiled reassuringly at him.

"It seems fighting to the death is the only way to enter the maze," Kurama said ominously," I apologize in advance Kuwabara, I hope your soul will find peace when you enter the spirit world for good."

With a snap Kurama closed the communicator, cutting off whatever Koenma had been saying. He slipped it into his pocket and took a step forward. Kuwabara backed away franticly, his eyes wide, never straying from the approaching spirit fox.

"Come on Kurama, we can talk about this. You said there's some weird demon plant right? You can figure out what it is. Come on man," Kuwabara uttered in a rush," Remember the saint beasts? We survived the gate of betrayal as a team!"

Kurama's face remained impassive as he reached into his hair and pulled out his rose. With a bit of energy the petals fell away, and what was once a rose was now a lethal whip covered in thorns. Kuwabara eyed the whip carefully and looked into Kurama's eyes. With a resigned sigh he summoned his spirit sword and stood his ground.

"Sorry Kurama, but I have people I have to get back to and if I have to cut you down to do it, I will," Kuwabara said with determination.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Kurama replied with a wide smile.

The two held their ground, never taking their eyes off one another. And as the last rose petal hit the ground, they both leapt forward with their weapons poised to strike.

* * *

Flashes of light could be seen within the darkness that surrounded the labyrinth. It has been half an hour since Hiei had first attacked Yusuke, and both fighters were extremely banged up. Hiei had lost his cloak at one point and his shirt had been burned off on the right side, exposing the large burn he had received when Yusuke's spirit gun had clipped his side. Yusuke himself was not much better. His jacket had been shredded and tossed aside, and his clothes and flesh were covered in cuts. Blood leaked sluggishly from both their wounds, but they both refused to back down.

"Normally I'd love a good fight, but you're seriously pissing me off!" Yusuke exclaimed as he wiped his bloodied lip.

"And I'm supposed to care because?" Hiei asked sardonically.

"I thought you'd have changed, but seems demon world has completely destroyed whatever morals you had." Yusuke spat.

"Hah! You're the last person I want a lecture on morals from," Hiei retorted acidly.

Yusuke grit his teeth and let out a growl. He lifted his left hand and held his right wrist as his side. In a matter of seconds he had charged up enough energy to fire his shotgun. Hiei slid his foot back and raised his sword once more. Their eyes met challengingly and without another word they continued their fight.

* * *

Twenty feet from the fight between Yusuke and Hiei, another fight was taking place. This fight though, seemed more one sided.

"Did you know Kuwabara?" Kurama began," Foxes are well known for playing with their prey before slowly killing them."

His voice echoed in the darkness and Kuwabara turned frantically, unable to pinpoint the source. His breathing increased but he refused to back down.

"Yeah? Well I ain't no prey of yours!" Kuwabara retorted viciously.

"Oh, but you are," Kurama whispered as he appeared behind Kuwabara.

Kuwabara leapt away just in time to avoid the whip, but when he spun to strike back Kurama had already disappeared back into the shadows.

"Come out and fight me like a man," Kuwabara screamed into the abyss.

Silence answered him. He turned in circles, darting his eyes back and forth for any sight of movement. His ears trained for any sound. He slowly backed away from where he had last seen Kurama and raised his sword protectively in front of him. His breathing was quick and shallow, and he nervously wiped away the sweat covering his brow. He closed his eyes and tried to use his spirit awareness to find the fox. The darkness seemed to block his ability, but as he concentrated he was able to sense a tiny green flame flickering to the right. With a deep breath his eyes shot open before he let out a battle cry and charged. He had only taken a few steps when he felt something impale him through the back. He gasped when he saw the thorn sticking out from his chest, before coughing up blood and falling face down to the floor. As his vision faded he faintly heard footsteps approaching.

"Apologies Kuwabara, but you lose," Kurama said morosely before retracting his whip and heading towards the ongoing fight nearby.

* * *

Both fighters refused to take their eyes off each other as they paused to catch their breath. Yusuke could feel blood sliding down his arm and dripping to the floor, his clothes were ruined beyond repair. In front of him Hiei stood, his sword splattered with blood and his shirt now nothing more than scraps.

"Give up already detective?" Hiei taunted.

"Not until I rip out your third eye you half-pint," Yusuke retorted with equal venom.

Hiei's glare intensified.

"You'll regret saying that detective," Hiei growled as he sheathed his sword.

Yusuke watched him wearily. He knew something was up. Hiei would never walk out on a fight. His shoulder's tensed as he watched the fire demon intently. The demon shifted in front of him, and started reaching for the bandages wrapped around his right arm. Yusuke waited apprehensively. All doubts that he had of Hiei's intentions were now cleared up. If Hiei was bringing out the dragon then he was fighting with the intent to kill. With this knowledge, Yusuke once more gripped his wrist. If Hiei was going to bring out the dragon, then Yusuke wouldn't hold back either. His eyes narrowed and he focused solely on watching the bandages slowly unravel from Hiei's arm. When the last of the bandages slid off Hiei's arm he started to charge up the rest of his energy. He planned to resolve the fight with one last attack. Hiei looked up at Yusuke and smirked. He was still holding the last of the bandages in his left hand.

"Detective," he said," You lose."

Yusuke opened his mouth to retort, but found he could not speak. He felt something pricking his neck, and turned to find the source. With a gasp of surprise he stared at Kurama's emotionless face before falling to the ground unconscious.

* * *

BTW…..For all you Kuwabara lovers out there…don't kill me! I'm not trying to make him seem weak. He can handle himself easily against all kinds of demons. But you have to remember the other three fought in the Demon Tournament against S-class demons. While Kuwabara is insanely strong compared to the average human he is still…. human. Compared to demons who are all naturally stronger, faster, etc., than humans he just isn't the best match when it comes to fighting. Not to mention he hasn't been fighting because he has been attending school. So he might be a bit rusty. Not to mention, Kurama has centuries of experience in fighting in tricky situations. So yeah….I promise to give Kuwabara his own epic kick-ass moment soon-ish. Until next time! Review please! :D They make me happy! XD


	6. Chapter 5

An Eternity of Lies Ch. 5

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New Chappie! So if you were confused hopefully it will be explained this chapter! If you still need clarification don't be afraid to ask me through a review, or pm, or something. :) Thanks again for the reviews Killer Karebear, lilnightmare17, and Jasmine of the Night. You guys have been sticking with me. I really appreciate it! :D Exams still suck XD but I will prevail haha

* * *

"_You should have learned by now. This is a kill or be killed world. If you're too weak to help yourself, you deserve to fall." – Hiei_

* * *

A blood red portal hovered where the archway once was. It seemed to breath as it warped and twisted in the air. The smell of blood and rotting flesh permeated the air around it and cries of pain echoed from its depths. Hiei stared at it impassively before turning to stand behind Kurama.

"So you were able to find the entrance after all." Koenma exclaimed," While I do not agree with your methods of going at it, I must congratulate you on finding a way to enter with everyone in tack."

Kurama chuckled nervously as his eyes strayed from the screen to the two unconscious boys beside him. Koenma's eyes followed and he stood up from his seat to get a better view through the communicator.

"Well, mostly in tack," he grimaced as he saw the blood covered bodies.

Kurama chuckled in response, and Hiei allowed a smirk to slip onto his face.

"On a more important note. How did you figure it out?" Koenma asked curiously.

Hiei's eyes slid over to the screen before looking at Yusuke's unconscious form.

"Blood and betrayal," he answered monotonously.

"What?" Koenma asked confused.

"What Hiei means to say, is there needed to be some kind of conflict that would result in a blood sacrifice," Kurama answered amusedly," It seems most people never thought to test out if they could enter with their comrades alive."

"Hm, yes that does make sense," Koenma mused.

"They let their emotions control them and were a bunch of fools," Hiei groused.

"Now Hiei, we all can't be as sick minded as you," Kurama answered pleasantly," After all, not everyone can cut up their friends for fun."

Hiei raised his brow at Kurama before huffing and turning away. Having had the last word, Kurama turned back to face Koenma.

"I forgot to ask before, but the labyrinth is another dimension entirely correct?" Kurama stated more than asked.

"Yes," Koenma answered seriously.

"Then I assume we won't be able to contact you once we enter?" Kurama said quietly.

"That is also correct," Koenma answered resigned," While we are able to contact other's in different dimensions the labyrinth is saturated in too much magic and energy to allow a good enough frequency."

"Then we are entering blind," Hiei interrupted.

"True, but I wouldn't have been much help anyways. I know almost nothing about the inner workings of the maze," Koenma said regretfully.

"How will we know when we have found our way out?" Kurama chimed in.

"Use the communicator. You may not be able to contact anyone, but it's kind of like a cellphone." Koenma explained," It has the five signal bars. If you see them light up then you will know you are in a dimension where you can contact me. Once you do, call me and I will create a portal back to where I am."

"Where you are? Not your office?" Kurama asked once he processed Koenma's words.

"Yes, Botan and I will be secretly uncovering and transporting my mother's body while you find her soul. Make sure you contact me once you are able to," Koenma stressed," The souls in the labyrinth cannot survive more than a day outside of their bodies."

"Let's go. We are wasting time here," Hiei grumbled as he threw Yusuke over his shoulder and approached the portal.

"It seems we must be going," Kurama spoke," I'll make sure to contact you once we exit the maze."

"Please do," Koenma answered," And good luck. You're going to need it."

Hiei grunted a reply and Kurama merely nodded. With a click the communicator was once again closed and placed into Kurama's pocket. Hiei watched unblinking as Kurama bent down and threw Kuwabara's still form over his own shoulder.

"Shall we?" Kurama asked gesturing towards the portal.

Hiei rolled his eyes, turned and jumped in. Kurama followed soon after. The portal closed shut with a soft pop and the archway appeared once more. The carved words upon it glowed a bright red, and as it faded so did the blood that had been spilled on the ground.

* * *

Yusuke's head was killing him, and the moving ground wasn't helping. With a groan he closed his eyes and tried to keep whatever he had eaten from coming back up and paying a visit. Hiei glanced over at his passenger before dropping him to the ground without warning. Yusuke leapt up with a cry of outrage but quickly turned and emptied his stomach on the ground to his right. Hiei sneered in disgust and held his breath. Kurama walked over with a purple leaf with green veins in his hand.

"Here chew on this, "he said as he knelt down besides Yusuke," it will help with the headache and nausea."

"You bastard. What did you do to me?" Yusuke groaned as he placed his head against the wall in front of him.

With a start he lifted his head and stared at the bricks in front of him.

"Uh guys," Yusuke said shocked," there's a wall here."

"It seems the detective has some observation skills after all," Hiei drawled sarcastically.

"That wasn't what I meant," Yusuke hissed nastily before turning green and turning once more to empty his stomach.

"We are in the labyrinth now," Kurama explained calmly, "everything will be explained once you get your stomach settled."

Yusuke turned and stared at the leaf suspiciously. His stomach twisted and his head throbbed with the sudden movement. With a huff he took the leaf, shoved it in his mouth and chewed. A few seconds later, he stopped chewing in surprise. Whatever Kurama had given him had alleviated his headache and nausea in a matter of seconds.

* * *

"So instead of telling me the plan you knocked me out because?" Yusuke trailed off skeptically.

"It seemed like the easier route at the time," Kurama replied sheepishly," Easier than explaining anyways. Besides the arch needed to sense strong negative emotions, and we needed someone to sacrifice blood. As a demon you would heal from the superficial cuts pretty quickly."

"I wouldn't call these superficial," Yusuke muttered as he stared at his blood soaked clothes.

"Yes well, we had to make it look convincing, and Hiei spilled just as much blood as you did," Kurama placated.

"I guess I can see where you guys are going with the fast healing and stuff," Yusuke spoke slowly as he turned towards Kuwabara," but where does a bloody Kuwabara come into the equation?"

"I guess I must have taken my role a little too seriously," Kurama said as he scratched his head in embarrassment.

"Hn, as if the fool could beat Kurama, besides we needed an uninjured fighter in case there were enemies waiting right at the entrance," Hiei said bluntly," the moron is the last candidate for the job."

"You take that back, you shrimp!" Kuwabara leapt up and screamed before falling back from the sudden movement.

"Oh, you're awake," Yusuke said blandly.

"He's been awake since we entered the portal," Hiei deadpanned.

"I'm surprised he lasted this long without throwing up," Kurama said surprised.

The sound of retching could be heard from Kuwabara's direction. Yusuke burst out laughing as Hiei wrinkled his nose in disgust. Kurama stood up and took out another leaf and some bandages.

"Seems that's my queue," Kurama said pleasantly.

"Why were you faking sleep anyways? Too lazy to walk?" Yusuke asked in between laughs.

"I was waiting for my chance to strike okay?" Kuwabara muttered angrily as he chewed," They attacked us for a reason and I wanted to find out before I gave them a good beat down for attacking their own friends."

"You take us down?" Hiei scoffed," Now I've heard it all."

"Shut up shorty," Kuwabara shouted," I still have a bone to pick with you. Only you would come up with such a morbid idea."

"Kurama, you just had to miss his vitals," Hiei drawled unconcerned.

Kurama held in his laughter as he bandaged up Kuwabara's torso. He made sure to add some herbs to discourage infection and speed up Kuwabara's cell reproduction. While they hadn't ran into anything dangerous so far, they were sure to soon, and having a heavily injured teammate from the start wasn't the best choice.

* * *

The labyrinth seemed to stretch on forever in all directions. The brick walls were chipped and covered in moss. The top of the wall was high above their heads, and swallowed by the inky blackness above them. There was no light source, and yet, there was enough illumination for them to see. Every step they took echoed down the path, every breath loud and wary. Kuwabara walked a little ahead of the others, his senses on high alert. In this unknown place, the others were relying on him to sense which path was the safest. The path way started to expand as they moved forward, the walls becoming farther and farther apart. In the distance, a fork in the road could be seen. Kuwabara's steps ceased when he was right in front of the paths.

"What is it Kuwabara?" Kurama asked.

"I don't know," Kuwabara answered unsurely," they both feel the same."

"Great, our sensor is broken," Yusuke exclaimed.

"At least I can sense stuff," Kuwabara retorted," They both have the same aura of danger and death."

"Hn, just choose a damn path already," Hiei spoke impatiently as he walked towards the path on the right.

"But what if it's the wrong one?' Kuwabara answered franticly.

"If both give you the same feeling then the maze is either scrambling your senses, or it is just that dangerous," Kurama placated," Our only choice is to take a gamble."

"Fine by me," Yusuke grinned," I've been revving for an all out brawl."

"Don't forget why we are here Yusuke," Kurama reprimanded.

"Yeah, yeah. Find the chick, free her souls, stick it in her body," Yusuke grumbled, "doesn't mean I can't have fun along the way."

"Real smooth Urameshi," Kuwabara said angrily," You don't talk about ladies like that."

"Will you just hurry up!" Hiei interrupted nastily.

"Gee, what's got him so pissy?" Yusuke grumbled before following after him.

"Yes, what indeed," Kurama mumbled thoughtfully.

* * *

Twenty pairs of sickly yellow eyes followed the four boys as they took another turn. With the stealth of a pack of wolves the group of demons crawled along the walls at a steady pace, always staying at least twenty feet away from the team. The leader of the pack dug his nails more firmly into the brick beneath his fingers. He licked his lips and tensed in anticipation. His pack mates did the same, and with a flick of his tail. The ten wolf demons pounced upon the four unsuspecting boys.

The four boys leapt away just in time, landing several yards away from each other. Kurama's whip was out in a flash, along with Hiei's katana and Kuwabara's spirit sword. Yusuke's fist was ready at his side, a spirit gun already charged and waiting. Ten large wolves crouched before them, their yellow teeth were set in a snarl, and saliva dripped from the sides of their mouths.

"How lucky for us," the largest wolf said gleefully," such unsuspecting piggy's walking into wolf territory. You'll make a great feast."

"So the big bad wolf finally shows up," Yusuke smirked," I hope you give me a good warm-up."

"Meals shouldn't talk back," the pack leader snarled," Get them!"

The wolves separated and leapt towards the closest opponent, their claws ready to tear the boys to pieces.

* * *

Two wolves raced towards Kurama but were thrown back by his whip. Another attacked him from behind. Kurama spun and dodged the wolf's strike effortlessly, but had to quickly dodge again as the first two wolves attacked his turned back. Kurama stood his ground, his eyes darting between his three opponents. Their teamwork was impressive, he would admit, but he'd fought multiple opponents before. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The wolves took this as a sign of defeat and leapt together, eager to sample their prey. Inches before their claws could reach him, he twisted his body into a spin, his whip snapping around him with the force. When he opened his eyes, his three opponents lay on the ground in pieces.

* * *

Hiei frowned in displeasure as he flicked the blood from his blade. Those wolves had underestimated him, believing his short stature was an equivalent to his power. His three opponents, one of whom was the leader, had charged as one singular body, slashing at him with their claws and cackling insanely. By the time they had realized he was no longer in front of them, all three of them were falling to the ground, covered in cuts, and bleeding profusely. A groan was heard behind him, and when he turned, he was surprised to see the pack leader had survived. With great effort the wolf staggered to his feet and glared unfocusedly at Hiei.

"Hn, so you survived. It seems idiots truly do refuse to stay down," Hiei muttered annoyed.

"I'll kill you for what you did to my brethren," the wolf snarled as he readied to spring.

"Blame your own weakness," Hiei said emotionlessly, " I tire of your senseless drivel."

"Heh! You won't have to hear it when you're dead," the wolf screamed as he leapt.

With a flash Hiei disappeared from his vision. When the wolf landed he stared wide-eyed at the empty spot in front of him. He turned to see Hiei's back to him. His sword was hanging by his side and his cloak was fluttering back to touch the floor. The wolf tensed up for another spring, but realized he couldn't move. Blood slowly trickled down his face, and with one final breath his eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed.

"What a waste of time," Hiei muttered as he walked away from the cooling body.

* * *

Kuwabara backed up along the corridor, the two wolves he was fighting were stalking towards him at the same pace. He stared at them unblinkingly, his face serious and his hands tensed around his spirit sword. His back hit the wall behind him and he gasped. The two wolves cackled with glee.

"We have you now human," one of them hissed.

Kuwabara grit his teeth and held his ground. The two wolves looked at each other and grinned. This fight was as good as theirs. Both wolves relaxed and straightened from their crouches.

"This isn't fun anymore," the second wolf grumbled," you take him."

"Then I get first dibs," the first wolf grinned.

"Do whatever you like," the second said uncaringly.

The first wolf grinned and jumped at Kuwabara, eager to start his meal. Kuwabara's scared visage morphed into a satisfied grin. He raised his sword and brought it down in one full sweep. The wolf was cut down in mid-air and dropped lifelessly to the ground. Hearing the thud, the second wolf looked up in shock.

"You didn't think I was scared did you?" Kuwabara taunted," A man never runs away from a fight. And now I have both of you lined up in front of me."

"How dare you trick us mortal," the surviving wolf roared," You will pay."

"Bring it on," Kuwabara said as he pointed his sword at the wolf," Now we can fight one-on-one like men."

Both fighters let out a battle cry and charged. The splattering of blood and the dying whimpers of the second wolf were heard moments later.

* * *

Yusuke dodged the two wolves with a grin. They were both constantly attacking one after the other, and hadn't given him much of an opportunity to counterattack. But Yusuke preferred it that way. The fight wouldn't have been much fun without a challenge. After five minutes of dodging though, Yusuke was starting to get bored. He lifted his hand to his mouth and let out a large yawn, dodging another strike along the way.

"You know, I was hoping for more of a challenge," Yusuke drawled.

"We're just getting started vermin," a wolf sneered," you'll be begging for mercy soon."

"So you haven't been fighting seriously?" Yusuke questioned sarcastically scratching the back of his head.

The wolves, fueled by their anger, attacked more aggressively. Yusuke gave them another cheeky grin. When the first wolf came close enough he punched him in the stomach and grinned when he heard some ribs crack. He stood back with his hand shading his eyes and whistled as if he were watching a batter hitting a home run. The wolf flew back down the long hallway and collided with the brick wall with a sickening crunch. The wolf didn't get back up and the other wolf watched in terror as his comrade slumped to the ground in a boneless heap. With a whimper he turned tail and ran.

"Leaving so soon? The party just started!," Yusuke exclaimed after the fleeing canine.

He held his hand in a gun position and aimed his pointer finger at the wolf.

"Heh, well then, game over," Yusuke grinned.

With a chuckle he let his spirit energy gather and fired his spirit gun. The wolf was vaporized in an instant.

"And I didn't even break a sweat," Yusuke muttered as he went to find the others.

* * *

The four boys gathered in the middle of the carnage. Other than a few torn clothes, they were all unscathed from their recent fights.

"You know, the labyrinth seemed a lot more dangerous in the description," Kuwabara said.

"We only just entered you fool," Hiei sneered.

Kuwabara snarled," Why you little.."

"Hey! Chill out!" Yusuke interrupted," We aren't getting anywhere fighting."

"Yusuke is right," Kurama asserted," We need to find Ms. Takahashi's soul as soon as possible."

Kuwabara and Hiei continued their glaring match.

"Well, I ain't working with the shrimp," Kuwabara answered stubbornly.

"As if I would want to work with a bumbling buffoon," Hiei retorted acidly.

"You really want to die don't you," Kuwabara questioned.

Kurama could see the two boys weren't going to be getting along anytime soon. With a sigh he stepped in between them and pushed them apart.

"How about this," Kurama suggested," When we reach another fork we will split up. I will give you both a plant tied to my energy. It will allow you to find me and vice versa in case one of us finds Ms. Takahashi first."

"Sure why not," Yusuke agreed," Better than hearing these two argue like children."

"You're one to talk detective," Hiei mocked.

"Hiei," Kurama reprimanded.

Hiei turned away, properly chastised.

* * *

While the four boys were bickering and compromising, something strange was going on around them. The bodies of the wolves still lay around them, and they ignored the carnage. They were used to such scenes after all. What they didn't notice, at first, were the thin shadowy tendrils that were seeping from the bottom of the walls. They looked almost tentacle like and they darted out like lightning to grip a dismembered leg and drag it into the shadows to be consumed. As the shadows continued to silently drag body parts away, Kurama was fitting Yusuke and Kuwabara with the plant tracker he had promised.

"Kurama, I seriously question your gender sometimes," Yusuke said skeptically.

Kurama merely smiled as he continued to feed a vine like plant his energy. The vines were a rich green color and the leaves attached to them were artistically splotched with red. With one last spurt of energy they wrapped and secured themselves around the wrists of the two boys. The bracelets glowed an eerie green and would have made any jeweler proud.

"I could always give you a pink one," Kurama joked.

"No, This is good," Yusuke backtracked.

Kurama gave him a serene smile and checked the bracelets over to make sure they were secure.

"If you find Ms. Takahashi just pluck off the leaves and I will be able to find you through scent," Kurama explained, "If we find her first, the vines will point you towards our direction once I activate them."

"That's a pretty nifty trick," Yusuke praised as he inspected the vines.

"Yes, I thought so myself," Kurama agreed.

Besides Yusuke, Kuwabara was only paying slight attention to Kurama's words. His senses were prickling and he could feel a cold shiver running up his spine. There was something wrong. He could feel it. But, what? His eyes darted back and forth. If he were to look down he would notice the tendrils getting closer, and becoming bolder by snatching up the flesh that was closer to them. With a gasp he whirled around and stared at the wide expanse of empty space behind him.

"Guys, the wolves are gone," Kuwabara whispered frantically.

"Yeah, we killed them, remember?" Yusuke retorted.

"The bodies are gone," Kurama exclaimed.

The three boys turned when they heard the sound of steel striking the floor. Hiei stood behind them, staring intently to his left, his sword piercing the leg of one of the wolf demons down to the ground. They followed his gaze and stared perplexed at the shadow tendril that was tugging at the leg with all its might. It was quickly joined by others, and with a wet squelch, the tendrils tore the leg from the sword and dragged it into the shadows.

"What the hell?" Yusuke screamed.

"That's just creepy!" Kuwabara seconded.

"As I suspected," Kurama said calmly," This maze seemed too clean for a place full of death and carnage."

"Can you say that again," Yusuke said confused," This time in a language we understand."

"He means there's something disposing of the bodies," Hiei bit out.

"But aren't they souls?" Kuwabara asked.

"Yes, which means once they are destroyed, they cease to exist," Kurama explained.

"That's kind of sad," Kuwabara said solemnly.

"Hn, they were weak," Hiei grumbled," only the strong survive and thrive here."

"So what happens to us?" Yusuke asked.

"Since we aren't just souls, I'm assuming we will lose our physical bodies," Kurama hypothesized, "and have our souls ripped out and devoured."

"That's gross," Kuwabara said disgusted," I'd hate to go through that."

"Then just don't die," Yusuke grinned," This just got interesting."

* * *

Hey hey! Thanks for reading! A toast to everyone! Cheers! ( ^_^）o自自o（^_^ ) I'm pulling my hair out trying to figure out a way for Emi and Hiei to meet without it being super cliche, fluffy, and not Hiei. XD Any ideas? Review please! :)


	7. Chapter 6

An Eternity of Lies Ch. 6

* * *

Aiy! Thank you so much to lilnightmare17, Sanity'sRival, and Roses-of-Envy for the reviews!You reviewers make me so happy! :3 If I could I'd give you all free hugs haha I guess virtual ones will have to do :D I'm so excited that people enjoy my wonky imagination haha

* * *

"_Well, as it turns out, he's only partially worthless." - Hiei_

* * *

Koenma held his breath and peeked around the corner. This was the moment of truth. His father would know of his activities if he didn't dismantle the barrier around the mausoleum that held his mother's body before he retrieved it. The barrier was one of the most complicated and intricate barriers he had every seen, second only to the Kekkai Barrier. While his mother had been disgraced and torn from the royal family line, it didn't mean she would not be given a proper burial. She wasn't placed in the family tombs though. Instead, she was buried alone, in a private mausoleum right in the center of a cemetery in the human world. It was a disgraceful place to be laid to rest, especially for a person of her former status. Koenma could understand the placement though. His father had looked down on Emi from the beginning, and spirit world existed above the human world.

Koenma shook his head. Now wasn't the time to analyze his father's actions. He needed to figure out how to temporarily shut off the barrier. With steady steps he approached the force field and placed his hand against it. The barrier rippled around his hand. He took a deep breath and closed his breath. Using what little knowledge his mother passed down to him, he started breaking down the barrier layer by layer. This was definitely the work of a Takahashi he mused off handedly. His breathing quickened and he broke out into a sweat as more energy escaped him. With an anticlimactic hiss the barrier faded away.

Koenma broke into a sprint. He had to work fast, that had been too easy he thought. He popped into his teenage form mid step. He could cover more ground with his now longer strides. In moments, he was entering the mausoleum and running towards the lone casket in the middle of the tiny room. He inhaled deeply and used his energy to push the casket cover off. His gaze softened when it fell upon his mother's serene face. She looked as if she were sleeping instead of being tormented in a maze full of criminals. He carefully slid his hands under her back and knees. With a quick jerk he lifted her body into his arms and walked towards the door. He rejoiced, he would be with his mother soon.

With one last step, he passed over the doorway once more. There was a moment of complete silence, and then the sirens went off. Koenma cradled his mother's body and broke into a sprint. A dozen streams of light flew over his head and landed in front of him. Koenma stopped in his tracks and glared at the twelve members of the Spirit World Special Defense Force. He grit his teeth and held his mother tighter. His father's best soldiers were here, things were going to get messy.

"Prince Koenma, you are under arrest for trying to resurrect a known criminal and enemy to the King," the captain announced emotionlessly.

"She isn't a criminal," Koenma retorted.

"You are blinded. Even in death she is able to corrupt your mind," the captain murmured solemnly," her poison runs deep in you."

"How dare you even imply that she could have such ill intentions," Koenma hissed.

"It doesn't matter if you agree with us or not. By King Enma's orders, anyone trying to retrieve her body is to be eradicated along with it, so no further attempts can be made," the captain said with an air of importance.

"Even his own son?" Koenma questioned angrily.

"Yes, you have crossed the line many times before, it seems this time you have crossed too far," the captain sneered," I will gladly rid the royal family of a blemish such as yourself."

"I dare you to try," Koenma challenged.

The SDF chose not to answer and instead trained their palms on Koenma. Their gathering energy lit up the sky and their combined energy formed into a large orb the size of a car. Koenma eyed the growing orb with a critical eye. He didn't know if the barriers he could make would stand up to such a blow, but he had to try. Gathering his energy, he formed a tightly packed barrier around himself and his mother. He hugged her to his chest and turned his back to the SDF. If the blast made it through the barrier, he was willing to use his body as a last defense.

"Stop right there," a loud voice proclaimed from the far left," anyone who wishes to hurt Lord Koenma must get through us first."

The SDF faltered and looked around for the owner of the voice, but saw no one. They heard shuffling near Koenma and quickly trained their palms back in his direction. Out of thin air, a large blue ogre in mismatched armor shimmered into existence.

"George!" Koenma exclaimed," What are you doing here? How did you know where I was?"

"Koenma sir, when you didn't come back from your afternoon nap I got worried," George explained," You weren't in your room either, and I thought you were kidnapped."

George fell to his knees and held onto the bottom of Koenma's robes. His eyes were filled with tears as he wrapped his arms around Koenma's legs. Koenma swayed dangerously as his balance was disrupted.

"Don't scare me like that again," George said frantically.

"Okay, okay," Koenma placated," I won't, now get off me."

The SDF stood on the sidelines with varying expressions of disbelief on their faces. In front of them Koenma had fallen to the ground and was using one hand to secure his mother, and the other to push against George's forehead. George was still relentlessly clinging to Koenma's legs as if they were his lifeline. The captain cleared his throat and tried to gain control of the situation.

"Step aside ogre, and we might just spare you," the captain spoke loudly.

Both Koenma and George froze in shock. They had completely forgotten about the SDF. With a quick kick, Koenma had George off him. George scrambled to his feet, and placed himself in front of Koenma.

"So you have made your choice," the captain sneered," Then join the disgraceful prince in death."

"George, you don't have to do this," Koenma murmured," Your life isn't worth throwing away for something you aren't even involved in."

"Lord Koenma, as your right hand man anything that involves you involves me, "George stated with conviction," and when I vowed to be your underling, I vowed to protect you with my life."

Koenma gazed at George's back, and felt a small sense of hope despite the dismal situation. His eyes strayed to the sword George was wielding. It looked familiar and it was giving off an evil aura.

"George…where did you get that sword," Koenma asked gritting his teeth.

"Oh this old thing" George said sheepishly," when I found out you were gone I followed you to the theater. And when I heard your plans I raided the vaults before finding you."

"You what?" Koenma screamed," That's the demon sword you're carrying. Do you know how dangerous that is!"

"I do sir," George stated solemnly," but we both know I'm too weak to take on even one member of the SDF. Maybe with this sword I'll have a chance. Besides, I'm not the only one here."

The SDF startled at these words. Their eyes darting around the area, but they could see no one around them.

"Your bluff will only buy you so much time," the captain said angrily.

"I'm not lying," George screamed," If you support Koenma show yourself now."

Silence met his words, and an ominous wind blew through the cemetery. George clenched his teeth and tightened his grip around the hilt of the sword.

"Wait how does this thing work again?" A voice called from the right.

"You push the button, you idiot," another answered.

"What do you think I've been doing? There's more than one" a third voice snarled.

"Oh! It's the button on the bottom guys," a fourth screamed.

Suddenly the area around Koenma shimmered and warped. Large groups of ogres started appearing out of thin air. They were all fitted in old armor they had picked up from the vaults, and armed with any weapons they could find. Each group of ogre's stood in a circle, their hands touching a clear sphere filled with a silvery liquid that looked like mercury. As one they spread out and lined up in front of Koenma and faced the SDF. When they stopped moving, they numbered at over two hundred.

"We ogre's were always looked down on, but instead of shunning us, you gave us a purpose," George said facing Koenma.

"I'm surprised we weren't fired after all the mess-ups," a red ogre chimed in.

"That was all you," a green ogre retorted.

Koenma let out a disbelieving laugh. His eyes watered and he looked to the ground. A blue hand entered his line of vision, and when he looked up, he saw George smiling at him. Koenma smiled back and took his hand. George pulled him up and placed one of the clear spheres in Koenma's hand.

"We are all here to fight Koenma sir," George said," If we die, at least we die knowing you live to reform spirit world. The sphere will hide your presence so you can escape in the chaos."

"George, thank you." Koenma said quietly.

"Don't thank me, just promise our sacrifice won't be in vain," George grinned.

"I promise," Koenma nodded.

He stood behind the ogres with a new resolve. Emi's small body was once again cradled in his arms, and his finger was placed on top of the button on the sphere he held.

"You know," Koenma said," I never told you this, but I think you're the coolest ogre I know."

George stared at Koenma in disbelief. His eyes watered and he quickly turned away so Koenma wouldn't see him cry. To think, the first and last time his boss would compliment him would be the day he died.

"On three boss," George murmured," It was fun working with you."

"Yeah," Koenma replied just as quietly.

"One," George whispered.

"Two," Koenma said louder.

"Three," George shouted," Charge!"

The mob of ogre's let out their own respective war cries and ran at the SDF. At the same time, Koenma pressed the button and vanished from sight. He took off at a sprint, dodging bodies and zigzagging towards the exit. There were some narrow misses, but after what seemed to be an eternity he reached the very edges of the cemetery. The sound of swords clashing was getting quieter as he ran, but the screams seemed to echo through his brain. He grit his teeth and kept going. This wasn't the time to mourn, he could do that later. Right now he had to take full advantage of the opportunity they had given him.

His lungs burned and with relief he ran through the gates of the cemetery and made a quick left. He tried to keep his breathing and footsteps as quiet as possible, the sphere could hide his energy and image, but sound was a different story. He turned into an alleyway and clicked the button. Botan screamed at Koenma's sudden appearance.

"No time to explain," Koenma exclaimed breathlessly," We need to go, now!"

Botan summoned her oar quickly and jumped on. Koenma slid on after, holding Emi to his chest. They took off into the air at full speed. A blast of white energy flew past them, and Botan swerved harshly to avoid it. Koenma looked down at the ground and grit his teeth at the pursuing defense force. He placed the invisibility sphere against Botan's back and activated it once more. With a shimmer they vanished from sight and the SDF stopped their pursuit. Koenma knew they would be reporting to Enma soon, and he would be labeled an outlaw. At this moment though, he could care less. He rested his forehead against Botan's back and held back his tears. Botan stayed silent and let him use her as support. George wouldn't be coming back Koenma thought. He had to fulfill his promise. He just had to. But first, to find a safe hideout until the boys returned with his mother's soul.

* * *

Kuwabara hacked at a large mole demon. He had already cut down three of them, but there were more to take its place. Not to mention, the moles had somehow figured out a way to tunnel underneath their feet. Yusuke was a few feet away battling his own set of moles. They had unluckily stumbled into a large colony of the ground dwellers, and were now partaking in a larger than life version of whack-a-mole.

"We are walking on stone floors!" Kuwabara grumbled," How in the hell are they tunneling through it?"

"Since when did anything make sense when it came to the spirit world?" Yusuke retorted," Just keep killing them."

"What do you think I've been doing?" Kuwabara shouted.

Yusuke grunted as he punched out another mole.

"This is taking too long," Yusuke roared in annoyance," Kuwabara duck."

Yusuke let loose his shotgun, and Kuwabara covered his neck and hit the floor just in time. He could feel the tips of his hair singe from the energy that passed over his head. After the light faded he lifted his head and got up. The moles they had been fighting now lay motionless and burnt. In a moment, shadowy tendrils were leaking from the walls and dragging away the body parts.  
"I don't think I'm ever going to get used to that," Kuwabara said offhandedly.

"Yeah," Yusuke agreed.

One of the tendrils came out and grabbed Yusuke's ankle. With a shout he tried to pull his leg back, but the tendril was holding tight.

"Hey! I ain't food," Yusuke shouted before shooting it with his spirit gun.

The tendril remained unaffected and yanked Yusuke off his feet and proceeded to drag him towards the shadows by the wall.

"Urameshi!" Kuwabara screamed.

He ran after Yusuke and desperately brought his sword down onto the tendril. The tendril gave a high pitch scream before shriveling up and dissolving into the air. Both boys stared at where the shadow once was. Yusuke panted deeply and met eyes with Kuwabara.

"What the hell?" Yusuke's voice echoed down the hall.

* * *

Kurama and Hiei walked down the hall wearily towards what seemed to be a black cave. They were on high alert, but the only way was forward, and so they continued. They passed through the cave entrance, and what they walked into was a wide field of yellow daisies. A lake could be seen a few feet away, and green hills stretched out in the distance. Kurama looked around warily, he took a few sniffs, something didn't smell right. He turned when he heard a voice call his name. A figure was approaching in the distance, and with a start he realized it was his mother. His mind clicked and he realized what the smell was. It was the sticky sweet smell of a man-eating plant from the demon world. The scent it gave off caused hallucinations and paralysis. While the victim was incapacitated, the plant would swallow its victim, who would then dissolve in its stomach never knowing they had died.

Kurama held his breath and spread his energy around him. He closed his eyes and willed the plant to release its hold on him. When he opened his eyes he was back in the hall in front of the cave that he now knew to be the plant's mouth. He looked closer, and could make out the outlines of the dark purple petals surrounding said mouth. Hiei was farther in front of him, his eyes wide and unblinking. With a start, Kurama realized Hiei was still trapped in a hallucination. The flower was inching closer, and with one movement it fell towards Hiei, ready to swallow him whole. Kurama summoned his whip and dragged Hiei away just in time. The plant came crashing down, and when it hit nothing it returned to its spot. Its petals were now folded overlapping over its mouth and it sat waiting, content to wait for the next unsuspecting passerby. Kurama was glad the plant wasn't of the violent sort, but he had bigger things to worry about. The pain from the thorns of his whip weren't enough to wake Hiei up. He must have been more effected than Kurama had first thought.

* * *

Hiei took a deep breath and reveled in the smell of blood and burning flesh. A vast desert stretched before him and each step he took kicked up a bit of sand. The sand, strangely enough, was a reddish brown color. It was said that a great battle took place centuries ago, and the sand was forever dyed from the spilt blood. Hiei could care less about the history though, he was pissed off, and the sand seeping into his clothes did nothing to relieve his anger. A group of bandits had tried to kill him for his mother's tear gem again. This time they had been smarter and had tried to ambush him as a group. Too bad they were so weak. Hiei scoffed and kicked one of the bodies over. That hadn't been much of a workout, and now he was in a bad mood.

* * *

Emi stared apprehensively out the carriage window. Her face was set into a deep frown behind the veil she was forced to wear. It had been four days since Enma had sent her to strengthen and revamp the current barrier between the demon and human worlds. While the idea behind the task was good, she knew Enma had an ulterior motive. The night before she had overheard the head guard talking to Enma about an assassination attempt. While she hadn't been able to make out the entire conversation, the snippets were enough for her to piece together her husbands true motives. If she really thought about it, it was a good idea. The people of spirit world hated demons, so they would never suspect the king of associating with them. Let alone, hiring them to kill his wife. The entirety of Spirit World would see it as a crime against the royal family, and their animosity would grow. It truly was a perfect set up.

Emi's eyes shifted to the back of the leading guard's head. She assumed the entire caravan was in on the plan, and wondered if she should make a run for it. Not that she would make it very far. She had been forced to wear a many-layered kimono and a pair of geta. Making a run in her get-up was akin to suicide, and she knew it. But she couldn't just sit in the rickshaw and wait could she? The rickshaw came to a sudden stop, and Emi gripped the sides for balance. Before her was a wide expanse of red sand as far as the eye could see. Her grip tightened. Was this where she would die?

"Why have we stopped?" Emi questioned, hiding the quiver in her voice.

"My apologies my lady, it seems my men are not used to traveling the desert and have tired out themselves," the guard said with a bow," If it isn't too much trouble, we request a moments rest."

"I suppose it will be alright," Emi replied uncertainly.

They were stalling, Emi was sure of it. This must be the meeting place the demons and Enma had decided on she thought. How fitting, that her blood would soak in these sands, to mingle with the blood of the most hated enemies of spirit world. Emi shook her head. Don't think of such morbid thoughts yet, you can still escape she thought. But, how? Her eyes darted around her, from the guard to the open expanse of desert. She could run, and if by some miracle she escaped, would she not be killed by another demon? She clenched her eyes shut. She was Takahashi Emi, she couldn't give up now. With a gasp her eyes flew open. Of course, she was a Takahashi. She could create a barrier around herself, and wait out the attack. It would take enormous amounts of energy, but Emi was determined to live. Let's see who will outlast the other Emi thought as she started to discreetly cocoon herself with thin strings of her energy.

* * *

Hiei stared at the caravan in front of him. What were a bunch of spirit world officials doing in demon world? With a shrug he continued forward, he wasn't going to take a detour just because of some pests. He'd kill them if they bothered him anyways. As his steps grew nearer he noticed one of the guards looking at him intently. The guard stood and walked towards him. Hiei's hand found the hilt of his sword. He stopped walking and waited for the guard to approach him.

"Where is the rest of your group?" the guard asked," we were told to expect ten of you."

Hiei remained silent, and merely raised an eyebrow. What a noisy man he thought. The guard stood a bit taller and stared down his nose at Hiei. Was he trying to look intimidating? Hiei thought. If he was, then he was failing miserably.

"Our king refuses to let his guards look weak, if you do not call out your other men we won't pay you," the guard continued," we need the princess' death to look convincing."

"From what I can sense," Hiei drawled," I am more than enough to take on all of you."

"Are you making fun of me?" the guard spat.

"And what if I am?" Hiei looked up amusingly.

The guard unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Hiei. The other guards seeing this, stood to join him. They drew their swords and lined up behind him.

"I give you one last warning," the guard sneered," if you call out your friends and finish the task, I'll give you half the payment."

"I don't want your dirty money," Hiei growled.

The guard's eyes narrowed and he raised his sword in the air. With a yell he ran at Hiei. Hiei stood unmoving and with a triumphant yell the guard brought his sword down to cut Hiei in half. His sword hit the sand, but there was no blood under it. The force of his swing had caused him to lose his balance, and he barely dodged the strike to his heart. The guard was rewarded with a deep slice through his arm instead. His arm hung uselessly at his side. Behind him stood the demon he had just attacked, blood dripping from his sword. The other men stared wearily at Hiei, and shifted until they all surrounded Hiei in a large circle. Hiei's frown melted into a feral grin. Maybe he could let out some steam after all. He tensed his legs and leapt. The guard in front of him fell to the ground without a head. Another bleeding from the two stumps that used to be his legs. The desert would be coated in blood tonight.

* * *

Anyone listen to K-pop? Big Bang? I was re-reading this and realized I made Hiei quote G-dragon by saying "I don't want your dirty money." Pffthahahaha Okay….not that funny…well to me it was. Emi and Hiei are going to meet soon~! Wahoo wahoo~! But yeah…review? please? XD


	8. Chapter 7

An Eternity of Lies Ch. 7

* * *

Thanks Roses-of-Envy, lilnightmare17, and Killer Karebear for the reviews! For some reasons, fanfiction decided to mess around with my review settings, but all is well now haha XD Btw! Envy, if you hug me back I'm not letting go! jkjk :P And I love you all for reviewing. No worries Karebear! Life happens haha I'm glad you're back :D Lilnightmare, you flatter me and inflate my ego, so...please keep it up kekeke ;) But yeah...we are getting somewhere now. :D I hope you're all as excited as I am. First meeting! Yay! And in we go~!

* * *

"_Let's avoid fighting. You're not worth It. " - Hiei_

* * *

Emi was abruptly broken from her trance when she heard the screams. She hugged her knees to her chest and closed her eyes. She doubled the amount of energy she had been pouring into making the barrier. The demons had come sooner than she had thought. Multiple thuds could be heard from outside, and she didn't know who the bodies belonged to. She took a peak outside and was greeted with a sea of carnage. Guards lay dead, or dying in pools of their own blood. Something had gone wrong. The guards were never planning to pay the demons. They were going to kill them and take their heads to display to the court. That was what she heard last night!

Silence answered her thoughts. Was the entire caravan dead? Were the demons that strong? Her breathing was frantic and sweat dripped from her forehead. She slowly backed up from the window. Maybe if she stayed silent the demons would ignore her. The sound of shuffling sand grew closer. Emi took a quiet breath and held it. Her heart was thumping right out of her chest. Her eyes were filling with tears. She didn't want to die. Not yet. She still wanted to see her family, see her adopted son.

A hand grabbed the curtain in front of her. On instinct, she let out the loudest scream she could muster. The hand quickly retracted and was replaced by a sword. Emi's scream abruptly came to a stop when the tip of the blade buried itself a few inches from her left ear. The curtain was torn completely off the rickshaw and she was greeted with a pair of glaring crimson eyes.

"Pathetic," the demon muttered before yanking his sword from the wood and sheathing it.

He took a step back and turned away. His steps took him around the rickshaw and out of her view. Emi's breathing returned and she ripped off her veil and scrambled from the cart. She stumbled on the last step and sunk to her knees. Why was there only one demon?

"Wait!" Emi screamed, " Did you do this?"

"And what if I did?" Hiei stopped walking and asked," Planning to avenge them?"

"No, I. Well, I," Emi stuttered as she got up.

"Spit it out and stop wasting my time," Hiei snarled as he turned to face her.

"You saved me. I have to thank you somehow," Emi answered quickly.

"Don't bother. I didn't do it for you," Hiei retorted acidly," They were in my way."

"At least tell me why you turned on them," Emi pushed," You could have easily taken the money and killed us all."

"Do you want to die," Hiei growled," I don't need your blood-soaked currency."

"I owe you my life," Emi stated as she trembled," If you want my life as payment then take it."

In a blink of an eye, Emi found herself on the ground disorientated, the demon straddling her and holding his sword to her neck. His eyes bore into hers, but she refused to look away. A tear slid down her cheek and created a small dark spot in the sand.

"You're so scared you can't even move," Hiei sneered.

Emi closed her eyes tightly when more pressure was placed on the blade. A bead of blood trickled from her neck. It was true. She was completely terrified. But this was the way she was raised. Life debts were important, and this was the honorable way to deal with the situation. If she had to die here, at least it would be honorable and on her own terms.

Hiei stared at the girl beneath him. She looked no older than fourteen years of age. She was so pitiful, so small even. She was swamped in fabric, and wouldn't last one second in the desert alone. Killing her now would only leave a bad taste in his mouth, and put him in a horrible mood again. He may be a demon, but he had a sense of morals and a code of ethics he lived by.

Hiei slowly lifted the sword from the girl's neck. Her eyes fluttered open, and they continued to stare at each other. Hiei stood up and sheathed his sword. Emi scrambled to her feet soon after. There was a tense silence between them, and Emi didn't know how to break it. Her eyes darted anywhere but to the demon in front of her. She saw movement behind the demon's left ear and gasped. With a leap she sprung forward and tackled the demon to the ground. The demon growled and tried to push her off when he noticed the bloody guard standing over them.

"To fail King Enma is to die," the head-guard slurred," but I will take you both down with me."

Hiei's eyes widened as the sword came down toward the girls back. He tried to push her off again but her grip was impossibly tight. If only he could reach his sword. The blade made contact, but Hiei felt no pain and no splattering of blood. The girl's eyes were clenched shut, and the sword that had hit her back shattered into pieces.

A weird tingling feeling was raising the hairs on Hiei's arms, and he stared at the yellow glow that surrounded them both. The feeling faded away and the girl's grip loosened. Her arms fell limp and she slid to the ground in a boneless heap. Taking the opportunity for what it was, Hiei grabbed his sword and decapitated the guard. He turned his curious gaze to the girl lying on the ground fighting to stay awake. She had technically saved his life, although he could have managed if she hadn't been holding his arms down.

"It worked," she mumbled," Thank goodness."

"You're a bigger fool than I thought," Hiei grumbled down at her.

"Yeah, probably," Emi slurred incoherently, "I'm Emi by the way."

"I didn't ask," Hiei bit back, but Emi had already lost consciousness.

Hiei rolled his eyes before turning and walking away. His steps grew slower as the distance between him and the girl increased. Damn it! Why did she have to look so small and helpless? An image of his sister popped into his head. With a grumble Hiei turned and stomped back to the girl's body. He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. He was only curious about her powers, he told himself. With a firm grip on the back of her knees he walked off towards the cliffs that bordered the desert. He needed to find shelter. While he would survive the cold of the desert night, this girl definitely wouldn't.

* * *

Hiei carelessly dropped Emi onto the ground of an empty cave before heading back out. He could travel much faster without her, and it took him little to no time to get back to the rickshaw. He kicked a hole through the side and tore large chunks of wood from it. He also picked up a few of the soldiers' bags before heading back to the cave. The girl was now awake, but he ignored her. He instead dumped a bit of wood in the corner, and placed the rest in a teepee formation. He flicked his wrist and the wood was set ablaze.

"You're a fire demon," Emi said as she scooted closer," that's convenient."

Hiei's eyes followed her movement and his glare intensified when she was directly across from him.

"What's your name?" Emi asked.

Hiei looked up at her emotionlessly before turning away and reaching to the bag nearest him. Emi scowled at him and glared at the back of his head. Perhaps she was hoping to burn a hole through his head. Either way, he wasn't acknowledging her attempts to gain his attention. With a huff Emi stood from the ground and stomped over next to him. She continued to glare, but he ignored her and continued rummaging through the bags by his side.  
"Hey! I'm talking to you," Emi said angrily.

She was answered with silence. Another minute of silence passed before Emi snapped. She reached down to grab his shoulder but her hand met air. He had somehow made it to the other side of the fire, bag in hand, and was still completely expressionless. Emi opened her mouth to yell, but was quickly knocked over by a packet of beef jerky to the face. The jerky fell into her lap as she sat up with a glare.

"You asshole!" Emi screamed.

Hiei raised his eyebrow and couldn't hide the smirk that graced his face. Throwing that had felt so good, he thought.

"For a princess, you have a very…eclectic vocabulary," Hiei jeered.

"Don't make fun of me," Emi huffed," And I'm not a princess."

She sat down and picked up the bag of jerky. Her growling stomach won over any argument she wanted to start with the demon. She yanked viciously at the bag, but it wouldn't open. She muttered curses under her breath. His back was to her again, but she just knew he was smirking in amusement.

"The guard said you were a princess. And yet you say you aren't. What are you then, to need the royal guards?" Hiei asked, breaking Emi from her muttering.

"Tell me your name first," Emi bitingly retorted.

Hiei's eye twitched and his grip tightened on the bag he was holding. What a brat, he thought. He ignored the fact that they were around the same age and turned his head to glare at the girl. She met his glare head on. With a roll of his eyes Hiei abandoned the bag he was holding and shifted until his entire body faced her.

"Hiei," he grumbled," Now answer the question."

"That wasn't so hard was it?" Emi grinned.

Hiei stared at her emotionlessly. Emi rolled her eyes and abandoned the bag of jerky as she started to speak.

"I'm going to get married soon. It's an arranged marriage," Emi began," once I am married I will gain the title of princess. But as you saw, my husband isn't too happy about the idea."

Hiei scoffed at her huge understatement.

"Yeah, exactly," Emi said as she chuckled humorlessly.

Both of the cave's occupants sat in silence once more. Emi hugged her knees to her chest and gazed into the fire.

"I wonder what it feels like," Emi muttered.

Hiei looked up just in time to see her reach her hand into the fire. He jumped to his feet and yanked her wrist out of the flames.

"Has the idea of marriage made you suicidal or just plain crazy!" Hiei snarled.

Emi stared at him for a moment. His grip on her wrist still hadn't loosened. It took some time for her to process what he had said. And she ducked her head. Hiei loosened his grip guiltily but paused when he heard her snort. He looked at her in confusion. She snorted again. What in the world, Hiei thought. Emi's shoulders started to shake and she suddenly threw her head back and broke into a hysterical laughing fit. Hiei let go of her arm and backed away slowly. Emi started crying through her laughter and soon her laughter turned into sobs. She had her face buried in her arms, and her arms propped on top of her knees. The shock of seeing the dead guards and her own near death experience had finally caught up to her. Hiei stood petrified against the wall. There was no question about it. This woman was crazy.

* * *

The sobs decreased in volume and soon turned into quiet hiccups. Hiei had taken a seat in the very back of the cave long ago. The light from the fire didn't reach him, and all that could be seen from the back of the cave were his two crimson orbs. Emi's head lifted up and she looked around with red-rimmed eyes. Her gaze passed Hiei's spot before snapping back. She jumped, her hand flying to her chest as she let out a high-pitched squeal.

"Holy crap! Make some noise. Why are you just sitting there?" Emi squeaked as she tried to regulate her breathing.

"You were making enough noise for the both of us," Hiei retorted with a glare.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry about that, the shock finally hit me I guess," Emi said sheepishly.

Hiei only half heard what she said. His eyes were trained on the hand that was still over her heart. The same hand she had placed into the fire. It was completely unharmed. His mind strayed back to when she had broken the guard's sword.

"Why are you not hurt?" Hiei asked suspiciously.

"What do you mean?" Emi asked confused.

Hiei jerked his chin towards her hand. Emi followed the movement and looked at her hand. She lifted it up in front of her.

"Oh you mean this? I just put a barrier up before I put it in the fire," Emi explained brightly.

"Barrier making is a rare power," Hiei said as he got up to take a closer look.

"Why do you think I'm being forced into a marriage?" Emi mumbled.

"What broke the sword was also a barrier?" Hiei continued as he sat about a foot away.

"Yeah, it took a lot out of me though," Emi said shyly," I'm still a beginner at this after all."

"To be able to break a sword is not a simple task," Hiei grumbled.

"Well, it is for a Takahashi," Emi murmured as she looked into the fire.

Hiei's eyes bore into the side of her head before he too glanced into the flames. He assumed the name Takahashi was her family name. Although, it meant nothing to him. He thought back to the fight in the desert.

"Why was I able to cut you?" Hiei asked.

Emi looked over at him, and lifter her hand to feel the cut he had given her. She was surprised that he had initiated a conversation and took a while to come up with an answer.

"I put down the barrier," Emi said as if it were obvious," I owed a life debt, and my life was yours to deal with. I wasn't going to back out of it. That would be dishonourable."

"What of the guard's attack?" Hiei continued to question.

"I was making a barrier long before you attacked, so I had the structure in mind, it just took a lot to bring it out again so quickly after putting it down," Emi stated," I've always built barriers slowly, layer by layer, and that was the first time I brought it up in such a short time. I'm surprised it worked."

"You weren't sure," Hiei asked incredulously.

"Well, no," Emi said with a grin," But I've been told I work best under pressure."

Hiei stared at her. She really was a moron. If it hadn't worked, she would have been skewered through the stomach. Hiei watched as she stuck the corner of the bag of jerky into the fire. He would admit her powers had peaked his interest, and her actions had surprised him. Hiei snorted as she threw the flaming bag to the ground with a squeak. But she was still a naïve idiot.

* * *

"Which way should I be going if I want to get back to spirit world?" Emi asked after swallowing her bite of beef jerky.

"The way you came," Hiei said sarcastically.

"I know that genius, you don't have to patronize me. It's just, I was in a rickshaw for the entire trip. Not to mention, I was trying to figure out how to get out of this trip alive," Emi bit back.

"You knew you would die? Then why go back?" Hiei asked.

"I have duties to go back to. Besides, just imagine my betrothed's face when I come back as the only survivor," Emi answered conspiratorially," You still haven't told me why you turned on the guards."

"I didn't," Hiei answered simply.

"But you were hired to help them weren't you?" Emi asked.

Hiei just stared at her. Emi remembered Hiei's disinterest in the money the guards promised.

"Oh," Emi realized," It wasn't you they hired."

Hiei continued staring at her with a deadpan expression on his face.

"Wait," Emi exclaimed," then what happened to the original bandits? Not that I'm not grateful you showed up instead."

"I passed a group of bandits, it was probably them," Hiei said as if he were talking about the weather," They annoyed me, so I killed them."

"You really need to find a new way to deal with your emotions," Emi said sarcastically.

Hiei answered her with a smirk.

* * *

Emi was back besides the fire and was poking the dying embers with a stick. With a jerk, she pulled a small piece of burnt wood from the pile and picked it up. She turned to the walls and started doodling with the charcoal.

"What are you doing?" Hiei asked looking over her shoulder.

"I'm drawing you," Emi replied.

"That's supposed to be me?" Hiei asked incredulously as he stared at the stick figure.

"What? Now you're insulting my art skills too?" Emi grumbled as she drew in the hair.

"There are no skills to insult," Hiei answered smugly before sauntering away.

Emi's grip tightened around the charcoal. With a growl she threw it at the fire demon's head. He dodged the projectile without looking and continued to rummage through another bag. Emi gripped her hair before sliding her hands down her face in frustration. She grumbled and kicked at the rest of the burnt wood. Soot flew into the air, and Emi coughed as she breathed it in. Hiei turned at the noise and froze at the sight in front of him. The canteen he was holding dropped from his hands and he continued to watch the girl make a spectacle of herself. Emi froze when she heard a snort. She turned towards the source, and glared. Once she was fully facing him, Hiei couldn't hold in his amusement any longer. His low chuckles turned into loud laughter. One arm held his stomach and the other hung at his side as he continued to laugh.

"What, is so funny?" Emi demanded to know.

Hiei just pointed at her hand and turned his face away. Trying to calm himself down. Emi glanced down at her hand and froze in shock. The charcoal was all over her hands. She looked up at the fire demon completely mortified. Hadn't she touched her face and hair with that hand? Hiei looked up at her burning red face and broke down laughing again. Emi tilted her head and watched the hunched over demon. He looked so carefree, and dare she say it, handsome. She found herself slowly smiling with him. Her anger melted away and she joined him in his laughter.

* * *

Hiei kicked himself. How could he have let his emotions get the better of him. He looked up at the girl before averting his eyes. She was grinning at him like a fool.

"So the demon does have emotions," she said impishly.

His ears burned red in embarrassment.

"You can't fault me for laughing at the antics of an idiot," Hiei retorted.

Emi let out a short laugh. Before continuing to smile across the fire at him.

"I'm in too good of a mood to get mad," Emi grinned," You know, you should smile more. It makes you look younger."

"What I look like doesn't matter," Hiei muttered.

"Well, not everyone can be satisfied with being a grouchy old man," Emi drawled.

Hiei's eyebrow twitched. They looked the same age! For all they knew she was the older of the two.

"See! You're frowning again. Careful or those wrinkles on your forehead will be permanent," Emi continued to taunt.

Hiei's hand slipped towards his belt. He refrained from unsheathing his sword, no matter how much he wanted to.

"You're not going to answer?" Emi asked.

The cave remained silent, except for the crackles and pops from the flames. Emi sighed. Seems she wouldn't be able to get a rise out of him after all.

"You're no fun," Emi mumbled sullenly.

* * *

Hiei looked up when he was sure her attention was no longer on him. She was staring somberly into the fire. Her eyes reflecting the flickering flames.

"We're from such different worlds, but in this cave, it doesn't matter," Emi murmured sadly," I wanted to travel the different worlds, and experience the different cultures. But not like this. I'm too young to be married. Why was I born into this position? Do I not deserve a chance to live as I wish?"

Emi looked up and met eyes with him once more. Hiei felt obligated to answer. His gaze never wavered as he spoke.

"The world is a cruel place," Hiei spoke sagely," we don't get what we want. But we can either choose to accept the hand we are dealt, or fight tooth and nail to forge our own path."

Emi looked back down with a sad smile. Her eyes were filling with unshed tears. She let out a snort.

"You seem to speak from experience," Emi muttered sardonically," and there are people out there in horrible situations. Yet here I am, a privileged member of the spirit court, whining like a toddler. I'm a terrible person."

Hiei got up and headed towards the back of the cave. He made no indication that he heard her. Emi sighed and followed the fire demon with her eyes.

"Will you tell me your story?" Emi asked softly.

"It's nothing interesting," Hiei mumbled as he sat down against the wall.

"I'd still like to hear it," Emi prodded gently.

Hiei looked into the flames pensively, and gave her no answer. Emi sighed again. Looks like he wasn't going to open up after all. She lay on her side, hands pillowing her head, and back facing the fire demon.

"Good night Hiei," Emi whispered.

Hiei watched her curl up on the floor. For the next half-hour, he sat frozen, watching her breathing slow as she slipped into a dreamless sleep. A cold wind swept into the cave, causing the flames to flicker, and cast ominous shadows on the wall. Hiei automatically increased his own temperature to compensate for the cold. He watched as Emi shivered and curled up tighter to try and conserve heat. With a sigh he stood, unclasped his cloak, and draped it over her sleeping form. When had he gotten so soft, he pondered as he made it back to his spot.

He sat down and stared out the cave mouth to the stretch of desert below. Demons didn't need much sleep, and he was no exception. Looks like he would have to keep watch and wait out the night. His eyes landed on the girl when she moaned and flipped over to face him. His eyes narrowed, a princess of the spirit world that trusted a demon enough to sleep in its presence. A slow grin stretched across his face. It seemed anything was possible. Life truly was never boring in the Makai.

* * *

Kurama stopped walking when he reached another fork in the maze. He had gotten quite far from the plant by now, but Hiei was still under the plant's influence. The fox turned his head, hoping to meet crimson eyes, but was instead met with a still unconscious Hiei. A small almost unnoticeable grin had made its way onto the fire demon's face. Kurama raised an eyebrow at the sight. He placed Hiei gently against the wall before walking forward to inspect the two paths. He had to be cautious, they were currently down one fighter, and he didn't want to meet any more opponents. Their opponents were getting stronger as they traversed the labyrinth, and Kurama didn't know if he could fight any more enemies and protect Hiei at the same time. He decided to wait and give Hiei five more minutes. If Hiei didn't wake up by then, Kurama would take drastic measures. The fox demon took a seat next to Hiei and leaned his own back against the wall. His eyes fell on Hiei when he heard him shift.

"Emi," Hiei quietly mumbled.

Kurama's eyes widened for a moment, before they narrowed in thought. He had his suspicions, but this proved them to be correct. The plant wouldn't make Hiei hallucinate about a complete stranger. There had to be some kind of connection between them. Once Hiei woke up, Kurama decided, he was going to interrogate him.

* * *

Hey guys! Emi and Hiei interaction! Yay~! Poor Emi can't catch a break with our little fire demon around haha But don't worry. She's growing on him. Remember they are both young teens, so they are going to have their childish moments and less control over their emotions. Young boys bully the girls they like no?

On another note! A friend and I almost got into a car crash a while back, and it wasn't until we drove into the parking structure at my school 20 minutes later that it hit me that I could have died. Emi's reaction to the shock was pretty much what happened to me. Well, hers was more dramatized. But it does happen...

Also, The charcoal on face? Unfortunately, it's a true story…... . Except no one told me, so I walked around all day with a streak of charcoal on my cheek. -_- did that with yellow paint too now that I think about it….Teacher pointed that out. :/ What is up with art supplies attacking people's faces?! Maybe I'm just messy? Oh well. Random anecdote over! Don't be afraid to share any embarrassing stories you guys have XD Kurama is getting suspicious~! (I'm on a coffee high right now if you couldn't tell XP) I ramble when I'm caffeinated...Nyahahaha! Review please! :D


	9. Mother's Day Special!

A Eternity of Lies: Mother's Day Special!

* * *

Hey guys! This is a mother's day special. It's a scene that will give a little more insight into Emi and Koenma's relationship, but it isn't necessary to read it if you don't want to. If you do decide to read it, there is a little surprise appearance near the end. I won't tell you who it is though. So if you are staying to read, have fun~! Next update should be up Wednesday as usual.

* * *

Something strange was happening in Spirit World today. To start, the young prince Koenma was not in his lessons like he should have been. He had barely escaped his extremely large instructor, and had quickly hightailed it out of the room. Instead, he was nervously standing on the side of a hallway intersection with his back plastered to the wall.

It had only been a few months since he and Emi had started their little friendship. The night they stargazed in the garden had been the first time he had broken any rules. It was only being out after his curfew, but still it was important because it was a new experience. In fact, just thinking about that night made him all the more excited for another repeat. You see Koenma hadn't really grown up with much love from either of his parents. His father was always busy, and his mother was always lazing around and ordering people around. Or she was shopping.

But! That was not the point. The point was, that Koenma had met Emi centuries later, and he now realized what a mother's love could be like so he made sure to take advantage of it at every turn. Emi herself was years younger, but she had a maturity that most fourteen year olds didn't have. Maybe it had to do with her status, and her being a resident of the spirit world. They lived centuries before any signs of physical aging showed anyways. Or it could be the fact that she had two twin brothers that Koenma swore were the incarnations of the devil.

Koenma titled his head. Wait…he was older than her, but he looked like a toddler. How did that make sense? He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to think about that. Maybe it was because he was part of the royal line. He did have a teenage form after all. It just took some energy to maintain. Did that mean his father was using energy to maintain his form as well, Koenma pondered. That was something to think about. A toddler Enma in diapers popped into his head. Koenma snorted at the thought. With a start, Koenma realized his mind had once again wandered. Damn it! He shook his head harshly. Focus! He mentally scolded himself. With a grim nod he turned his head.

Two large lavender eyes stared back at him. With a scream he jumped back and fell on his backside. His hand gripped the fabric over his heart and he tried valiantly to steady his breathing and heart. The owner of the eyes giggled as she gracefully got up from her crouch, and reached a hand out to help Koenma up.

Koenma stared at the offered hand in a daze. His heart was still trying to beat out of his ribcage and his mind was completely blank. Slowly his mind started working again. He had been standing against the wall. And he had been hiding. Hiding from the person currently offering to help him up. He gasped and whipped his head up. Yup! The person standing over him was in fact Emi. With a loud unmanly shriek he crab walked backwards until he was a few yards away. He then proceeded to scramble to his stubby feet and run down the hallway in the opposite direction.

Emi watched the toddler run away in shock. She hadn't scared him that badly, had she? She retracted her hand and stood up straight again. Not enough to deserve that kind of reaction. Right? Her eyes furrowed in confusion. He had looked like he had seen a ghost. Maybe, she shouldn't have scared him like that. But he hadn't responded when she called his name, and it had been so tempting.

With a shrug she continued forward down the hall. Right now she had to meet with her husband to discuss something about the demon world. She rolled her eyes. What a controlling tyrant. Her thoughts went back to Koenma's reaction in the hallway just moments ago. Her mood immediately brightened and she even let out a slight chuckle. Maybe, she could replay that moment in her head while the counsel talked. It would keep her entertained, and maybe she wouldn't fall asleep this time. As a woman, her opinions weren't taken into account anyways. Chauvinistic pigs.

* * *

Koenma kept running until he made it to his room. He opened the door harshly and then slammed it shut. With unsteady steps he made it to his bed and fell forward face first into the blankets. He groaned and flipped onto his back. Why had he run like that? What if Emi didn't like him anymore? His eyes widened and he abruptly sat up. He had to go apologize! He leapt to his feet and wrenched the door open. He took off into a sprint but only made it about three feet before he was lifted by the back of his shirt. He looked up at his captor, and started to struggle vigorously. His tutor had finally caught him. With a grunt, his teacher tucked him under her arm like a football and walked back towards the study room. Koenma hung limply, resigned to his fate.

* * *

The chair she sat on was extremely uncomfortable. It was made from the finest wood money could buy, and the jewels that embellished it were worth enough to buy a hundred mansions in the human world. Not that she cared. The cost of the chair was the least of her concerns. She discreetly turned her head and gazed up at Emma. He was sitting in his own throne. But his was larger and the seat was higher than hers. A clear sign of his superiority over her, she thought sarcastically. That also was not one of her concerns though. What was her concern was her back. She wasn't able to fully hide her resentful glare when her eyes fell on the cushions Emma was so comfortably sitting on. He had gotten all the cushions on her chair removed because she had fallen asleep in the last meeting. The bastard. Feeling eyes on her, Emi turned to meet them challengingly. Emma looked back at her with hate, his face set into a humored grin. Emi turned away and sat straighter. She refused to let him intimidate her.

* * *

Koenma's hand shook, and a calligraphy brush dropped from his clenched hands. His tutor looked up from her spot across the room and frowned. Without a word, she stood up and exchanged his splattered parchment for a new sheet, before walking away. She crumpled the page she held in her hand and tossed it away, before returning to her seat to continue eating another stick of dango. Koenma's eyes almost fell out of his head. He reached for the calligraphy brush, tears streaming down his face. His tutor had told him to write lines until she was satisfied. With a sniffle he placed the tip of the brush on the paper. Slowly, the promise to never skip class again, was painstakingly written on the paper. Only the sound of sad sniffles and the teacher's chewing could be heard in the silence.

* * *

It took all of Emi's energy to walk calmly towards the doorway. Truthfully, she just wanted to run out of the council room whooping at the top of her lungs. Unfortunately, the council members were only a few feet in front of her, and her husband was behind her. It was true that she enjoyed pissing him off, but even she knew when was the time to act out and when wasn't. Someone called her name with barely hidden glee. Her steps stopped, and she clenched her fists before turning with a serene smile on her face. She looked up into the very definition of corrupt and stood her ground. Enma stared back at her, his eyes gleaming eerily.

* * *

Koenma was surprised his hand wouldn't need amputating after all the lines he had written. He cradled it to his chest, and grumbled under his breath. He had just wanted to do something nice for Emi today but nothing had gone right.

Soft footsteps approached Koenma from behind. He turned curiously and froze. Emi was approaching him. Her head was bowed, but Koenma could see her somber expression. She hadn't greeted him yet, and Koenma realized she hadn't even noticed him when she walked by. Curious and worried, Koenma reached out and gripped her hand. She jolted in surprise and looked down just in time to see Koenma wince.

"What's wrong?" Emi asked urgently before kneeling in front of Koenma.

She gently placed her hands on his shoulders and tilted her head so she could look into his face. He met her concerned eyes with his own, and suddenly all his anger and frustration over the events of the day flooded his tiny body. His eyes watered, his lips quivered, and with a deep breath he let out a loud wail before breaking down into sobs.

Emi blinked in surprise, before smiling minutely. She reached forward and pulled Koenma into a hug. He continued crying into her shoulder, and with a heave she lifted the toddler into her arms and walked them towards their garden.

* * *

His cries had quieted to quiet sniffles by the time she stepped off the walkway onto the grassy path of the garden. He hid his shoulder in embarrassment, as he continued to hiccup and catch his breath. Emi walked off the path and took a seat between some large lilies. Koenma felt her gently place him on her lap and he lifted his head, but refused to meet her eyes.

"You want to tell me what that was all about?" Emi asked gently.

Koenma stubbornly shook his head with a pout. Emi smiled down at the cute sight.

"At least tell me if you're hurt," Emi prodded," I saw you wince."

Koenma looked sideways at her but quickly looked away when her eyes met his. After a few moments he nodded minutely.

"You want to tell me where?" Emi humored him.

Koenma lifted his hand in front of her face, still stubbornly looking out into the garden. Emi reached out gently and cradled his hand. She pressed on him palm slightly, but stopped when he winced.

"The stupid fat teacher made me write a gazillion lines," Koenma grumbled.

"Koenma, we don't call people fat. That's mean," Emi scolded gently," But that's quite a few lines. Did she tell you why she was punishing you?"

Koenma took his hand back with an annoyed grunt.

"Cause she's a big meanie!" Koenma exclaimed.

Emi raised her eyebrow and looked down at Koenma. His eyes slowly met hers, before he looked away. For a few moments it was silent. Koenma let out a guilty sigh and pouted.

"I skipped class," Koenma admitted," But I had a good reason."

"I'm sure you did," Emi smiled gently," But lessons are important too right?"

"Yeah," Koenma grumbled with a pout," but she still didn't have to give me so many lines."

Emi just chuckled and pat his head. She gave Koenma another hug and rubbed his back gently.

"How about I take you to your room and ask a maid to soak your hand in hot water while I get some hot chocolate," Emi suggested," I'm sure you're tired after such a long day."

"No!" Koenma exclaimed.

"Why not?" Emi asked startled.

"Let's go to your room," Koenma said quickly.

"What's wrong with your room?" Emi questioned suspiciously.

"I like your room. It smells nice. Like flowers. And I'm not tired," Koenma lied before yawning loudly.

"I'm sure you're not," Emi humored with a giggle.

"Please," Koenma begged with tear filled eyes.

"Oh, all right, but after hot chocolate you go straight to bed," Emi said mock sternly.

"Okay!" Koenma agreed readily," but I want you to soak my hand and send the maid to get hot chocolate."

"I guess I could do that," Emi mused before standing up with the prince in her arms once more.

* * *

After instructing a maid to bring two cups of hot chocolate to her room, Emi made her way down the hall to her room. Koenma had his cheek pressed against her shoulder, and was fighting valiantly to stay awake. Emi looked over at him and chuckled with a slight shake of her head. How had she ended up with such an endearingly stubborn son. Koenma twitched at the sound but made no move to lift his head.

Emi reached her door and with a bit of maneuvering she was able to get a hand free. She pushed the sliding door open and walked into the room. Koenma was placed gently on her bed, and with quiet steps she made her way to the bathroom. She turned on the tap, filled a basin with warm water, and carefully carried it out with her. When she walked back into her room, Koenma had already sat up sleepily. He rubbed his eyes and tried to stifle a loud yawn. Emi shook her head and went over to sit on the bed.

"You sure you aren't tired?" Emi questioned with a knowing smirk.

"Nope!" Koenma said stubbornly.

"Okay then," Emi answered with a laugh," give me your hand please."

Koenma placed his hand in hers and watched her lower his hand into the water. She held his hand in the water and started to massage his palm. He winced slightly at the pressure but could feel the soreness ebbing away.

"Am I hurting you?" Emi asked looking up.

Koenma shook his head vigorously and sighed contently when she continued the massage.

* * *

A knock was heard as Emi finished massaging Koenma's hand. She turned to look over at the still open door. A young maid stood shyly in the doorway with a tray holding two cups of steaming hot chocolate. Emi motioned her in after wiping her hands dry, and relieved the girl of the tray.

The girl stood in the room unsurely as Emi placed the tray on the bedside table. She didn't know whether she should leave or wait to be excused. She could smell the hot chocolate from where she was, and her eyes unintentionally strayed to the steaming cups of mysterious dark brown liquid. Emi turned when she noticed the girls continuing presence. Her eyes followed her gaze and fell onto the cups before looking back at the girl. She couldn't be any older than eight. With a sigh Emi turned and faced her. I'm such a sucker for children Emi mused.

"Would you like one?" Emi asked the girl," You can join us if you want."

The girl jumped at the noise and stared at Emi like a deer caught in the headlights. She opened her mouth, but all that came out were a few stutters. Koenma stared at Emi's back with wide eyes.

"No! I don't want her here," Koenma said loudly.

"Koenma, don't be rude," Emi scolded as she turned to look at him.

He looked away chastised. His eyes strayed to the maid's before he looked away with a huff. The maid looked down shyly, her face red with embarrassment.

"Ignore mister grumpy over there, and have a seat," Emi said patting the bedspread.

The young maid approached hesitantly, but stopped before she reached the bed. She eyed the fabric apprehensively. The cost of the blanket on the bed could probably feed her family for a year. She wasn't sure she should touch something so expensive. She was literally pulled out of thoughts when she felt a tug on her arm. By the time her mind caught up with her, she was already sitting on the bed.

"What's your name?" Emi asked her.

The maid stared at the princess with wide pinkish blue eyes.

"I'm Botan," she answered quietly.

"It's nice to meet you Botan," Emi smiled," I'm Emi."

"I know that, you're King Enma's wife," Botan exclaimed before she slapped her hands over her mouth.

Emi let out a small laugh and pat the red-faced girl on the head. She turned and reached behind her for a cup of hot chocolate. With gentle hands, she transferred the cup into Botan's hands.

"Go ahead and try it," Emi encouraged," but be careful, it's hot."

Botan looked down at the liquid in her hand. It smelled so good, but it wasn't something the maids were allowed to consume.

"I won't tell if you don't," Emi reassured with a wink as if reading her thoughts.

Emi then turned away to give Koenma a cup. He had been sitting sullenly behind them the whole time. His arms crossed and his mouth stuck in a pout. He stubbornly refused the cup until Emi waved it under his nose. His resolve cracked and he grabbed the cup. A gasp was heard before he could take a sip. As one, he and his mother turned to face the maid. Both watched in surprise, as Botan chugged the hot drink, and wiped her mouth with her sleeve when she was done. Feeling eyes on her, Botan turned and blushed prettily when she noticed her audience. Koenma stared at her wide-eyed.

"Here, you can have mine too," Koenma muttered offering the cup.

The maid looked at him unsurely before grabbing the cup eagerly. Koenma watched her eyes light up as she drank the hot chocolate more slowly this time. It was weird to see someone so happy over something so simple. But it made him feel warm for some reason. Only Emi noticed his warming cheeks, and she watched in amusement as Koenma stared completely enraptured with the maid.

* * *

Emi let out a quiet sigh as she sat down on the side of the bed. She had just finished tucking in the two children, and was now watching them sleeping peacefully. They had for about an hour, before the two kids had conked out. These poor kids she thought. One was an orphan, and the other grew up with parents that neglected him. She reached out her hand and tucked a stray hair behind Botan's ear before stroking Koenma's head absentmindedly.

Emi looked around her room, for something to do. The events of the day were catching up to her, and her mind was racing so much that sleep was evading her. She stood up quietly and walked towards the armchair on the other end of the room. Might as well find a comfortable spot to wait out the night.

* * *

Emi jolted awake when she heard a scream. She looked towards the source of the noise with bleary eyes. In front of her, Botan was kneeling on the bed, and whacking Koenma in the face with a pillow. Koenma was covering his face and yelling for help. For a moment she stared in complete shock. Then a quiet escaped her. It grew into a loud laugh, and soon she was slumped in her chair laughing herself to tears. Botan turned to look at her, and Koenma took this chance to jump off the bed and scramble into Emi's lap.

"She's trying to kill me! Stop laughing! I almost died!" Koenma exclaimed dramatically.

Emi took a deep breath and tried to steady her breathing. A wide smile swept across her face, and her eyes flicked between the two children.

"What happened?" she asked amusedly.

"She's crazy!" Koenma yelled.

Botan looked down guiltily and wrung her hands.

"I'm sure that's not it," Emi said, "Botan?"

"I woke up and there was a boy there," Botan muttered shyly," I panicked."

"So you decided to smother me?" Koenma accused incredulously.

"I just reacted," Botan admitted sheepishly with a blush.

Koenma sputtered indignantly, and Emi laughed at them both. She pat Koenma's head indulgently before placing him on the ground.

"So who wants breakfast?" Emi asked, walking towards her closet and opened the door.

"Wait," Koenma exclaimed," don't open that."

Emi froze at the command, but the door was already open, and in front of her was a beautiful kimono covered in lilies. She turned to face Koenma questionably. He was facing the ground and scuffing his toes on the carpet.

"Humans have a day where they celebrate mothers and give them gifts, and since my birth mother left I was hoping you could be mine. I wasn't sure if you would like it, and I'm older than you, and yeah..." Koenma rambled quietly.

"Of course," Emi said as she kneeled in front of Koenma and hugged him.

With wide eyes Koenma wrapped his arms around her shoulders and buried his head in the crook of her neck. Emi looked over his shoulder and saw Botan watching silently. With her free hand she motioned the girl over and held out her arm. Botan's eyes lit up and she raced forward to join the hug.

"I can call you mom right?" Koenma asked uncertainly as he let go.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Emi smiled while sitting back on her feet.

"Can I also?" Botan asked quietly her eyes bright with hope.

"Sure," Emi replied.

With a squeal Botan hugged Emi again. Emi gave her a tight squeeze before letting go and getting up. Koenma watched them hugging, and smiled at the pure happiness radiating off the blue haired girl.

"That means you have to call me big brother," Koenma said primly.

"Why should I call a baby that?" Botan exclaimed.

"I'm not a baby!" Koenma retorted angrily," I'm at least a few centuries older than you and a prince at that."

"But you still look like a toddler," Botan taunted and stuck out her tongue.

"All right you two," Emi humorously said as she pushed them apart," Let's go get breakfast okay? Then you can decide."

Both of the kids blushed as their stomach's growled, and nodded at the suggestion. Emi held out a hand to each of them, and smiled when they both took them eagerly.

"Mom," Koenma said.

Emi hummed in response and looked at him. He beamed up at her in response, and received a wide smile in return. It felt good to call someone mom.

Emi's eyes softened, as she led the two kids to the dining rooms. Enma never ate with them, so no one would notice Botan was with her. Her smile fell at the thought of her husband, and their talk the day before. She would be entering demon world in a few days. She felt a tug on her arm and looked to her other side. Botan grinned and swung her arms as she skipped. Emi looked forward and noticed they were approaching the dining hall. The two children let go of her hands and started pushing each other to get through the door first. With an exasperated sigh Emi walked forward to deal with the situation. All thoughts of Enma flew from her mind. She had two little hellions to take care of. And she wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

Koenma may seem out of character but Emi _is _the first person to treat him like a child. I'm pretty sure he would take advantage of that and regress to a toddler when near her haha

I also thought it would be so cute if Botan and Koenma had a childhood together. But if you think about it they won't ever have time to really be siblings because Emi is put on trial twenty years later, which is a short time for people in the spirit world. That means once she is gone they will go their separate ways: him to become a ruler, and her to become a grim reaper. Well hope you enjoyed this little mother's day special! :D


	10. Chapter 8

An Eternity of Lies Ch. 8

* * *

Killer Karebear and Roses-of-Envy thanks for the reviews! :D I'm glad you guys enjoyed the mother's day short! :) It just wouldn't get out of my head until I wrote it out haha

* * *

"_Even as a child, I found tremendous pleasure in spilling my enemy's blood. Their screams of agony were my music box." - Hiei_

* * *

Emi woke up on her side and groggily looked around. She sat up slowly as the events from the day before flooded her mind. A tattered brown cloak slipped from her shoulders and pooled onto her legs and the floor. She smiled softly, this demon had a heart after all.

As if reading her mind, a voice broke through the dark silence.

"The chattering of your teeth annoyed me," Hiei said from the darkness," and you getting sick would be a burden."

Emi's mood soured and she glared in his direction. She stood up quickly and marched over with the cloak in hand.

"You know, it wouldn't hurt to admit you cared even just a little bit," Emi scowled.

"I don't," Hiei retorted emotionlessly.

Emi's grip on the cloak tightened. With an angry huff she threw the cloak in Hiei's face and marched off. Hiei allowed a smirk to grace his face, but hid it before he pulled the cloak off his face and stood to follow her. It was fun riling her up.

* * *

Emi tripped over another tree root. The kimono restricted her movement, and the geta was not meant for walks on uneven roads. Her forehead was covered in sweat, and her kimono was torn in multiple places either from her falls or from getting caught in the branches. They had made it through the desert and were now back in the forest where the portal back to sprit world had been made. The fire demon stood on a tree branch above her with a smug smirk gracing his face. Emi scowled and stood back up. It had taken a lot of convincing to get the demon to lead her back to the portal. Okay, actually she had annoyed him with crappy poetry until he conceded, but still. He didn't have to make fun of her.

"Are you planning to get to the portal in the next century, or should I start setting up camp," Hiei sarcastically said.

"I'll get there when I get there," Emi shouted back," You promised to take me all the way back so you're stuck with me."

"The horror," Hiei mumbled.

"What did you say? You want to hear another haiku about your big fat head?" Emi threatened.

Hiei glared down at her and turned away with a grunt. Emi remembering the long montage of horrible poems she had made up to annoy Hiei. It took her a while, but Hiei had finally agreed to lead her back to the portal. Well, more like he had found her so annoying, he was willing to lead her back and be rid of her. She grinned smugly, who had the last word now.

Her victory was short lived, however. Emi let out a surprised scream as her legs suddenly sank into the ground. She grabbed the nearest tree branch and clung on for dear life. The forest floor seemed to be trying to suck her entire body in.

"Holy crap! Hiei, help me!" Emi demanded hysterically.

Hiei merely sat down on the branch he had been perched on. He cupped his chin and placed his elbow on his knee.

"Now why should I do that?" Hiei asked, rubbing his chin in thought.

"You, bastard! You promised," Emi screamed.

"Do you really think insulting me is the smartest choice right now? Remember, I promised to get you to the portal," Hiei said amusingly," You never said anything about whether you had to be dead or alive."

"I can't believe we are doing this right now," Emi cried incredulously, her arms straining to counter the increasing pull on her legs.

"Why don't you ask nicely," Hiei suggested smugly.

"Please," Emi said reluctantly after a long pause.

"Please what," Hiei prodded.

Emi let out a gasp. Whatever was gripping her legs was tightening at a rapid pace. Her breathing was increasing, and so was her struggling. She grit her teeth. Her grip on the tree branch loosened as the pressure on her legs increased.

"Hiei, please pull me out" she hissed through grit teeth, her eyes glazed over from the pain.

Hiei stood abruptly as she lost her grip and sank rapidly. That was not a normal sinkhole like he had thought. He jumped from the branch and stabbed his sword into the tree as an anchor before grasping her hand. Emi looked at him desperately. A rumble was heard just as Hiei yanked Emi from the hole. He quickly scooped her up and jumped back into the tree branches. Hiei barely made it forty feet into the tree before the giant suction like mouth of a giant forest leech burst from the ground after them. He cursed under his breath, the leech was getting closer fast, and he hadn't been able to grab the sword.

"Create a barrier," Hiei demanded," Now!"

Emi's energy flared as adrenaline coursed through her veins. Within moments, a barrier of yellow strings weaved and formed against their skin as the leech's mouth closed around them. They were squished and pulled down the leech's gullet for what seemed like eternity, before landing in a shallow pool of stomach acid with a splash. The barrier had prevented them from being squeezed into a pile of mush, and kept their bones from being broken during the uncomfortable swallowing process. But they were both still sore from being squeezed down a tube that definitely wasn't made for two.

Emi sat up, let the barrier dissipate, and observed her surroundings. Fleshy walls surrounded them, and a rank sour smell permeated the air. Yup, they were definitely sitting in the leech's stomach. A groan sounded from beneath her. Emi's head snapped around and her eyes met the fire demon's. He glared at her, but she met his glare head on.

"This is all your fault," Emi snarled before lifting her legs up and putting all her weight on what she now knew to be Hiei's stomach.

"Get off," Hiei said gritting his teeth from the added weight.

"Why should I?" Emi asked defiantly.

With a heave Hiei stood up and threw her off. He heard Emi land into the acid with a splash. He crossed his arms and looked around, ignoring her yells of outrage. A sizzling sound was heard, and he looked down to see the acid eating away at his pant leg. There were holes in the back of his shirt, and his hair was slightly singed already from when he had landed.

"Get up," Hiei ordered," Before you're digested."

Emi looked down and felt an itchy sensation on her palms. With a gasp she pushed off the fleshy bottom to stand. She froze as a shock of pain traveled up her legs, and she sank back to the fleshy ground. Hiei turned when he heard the splash. He rolled his eyes and marched over.

"Can you do nothing right," Hiei asked before yanking her up by the elbow.

Emi winced in pain, and grabbed onto Hiei's arm with her now blistered hands. Hiei glared at her, but stopped his attempt to push her away when she let out another whimper. She was trying to put all her weight on him instead of her legs.

"Can you make a barrier on top of the acid?" Hiei asked quietly.

"I don't know, I've never done it before," Emi replied just as quietly," But I'll try."

Hiei supported Emi and watched fascinated as thin yellow strings of energy fell from her fingertips. They weaved together to create a small square net like structure beneath their feet. Hiei lowered Emi slowly into a sitting position on top of the makeshift raft. He heard no sizzling, and deemed it safe before sitting in front of her. Emi kept her eyes shut in concentration, and one of her hands was tangled in the yellow strings of their raft. Hiei's eyes watched the pulsing strings.

"We need to get out of here," Hiei stated.

"No shit, Sherlock," Emi snarled in frustration.

The netting beneath them faltered minutely as Emi's energy pulsed with her emotions. Hiei watched the netting warily. It wasn't perfect, but she was definitely powerful if she could create something completely new by just envisioning it. He knew though, that she wouldn't be able to keep it up forever. A plan began to form in his head.

"How long can you shield us entirely," Hiei asked.

"Maybe, two minutes," Emi said, her voice strained," but we need to be in contact."

"Hn, that's more than enough," Hiei answered before lifting Emi up and throwing her over his left shoulder.

The barrier beneath them disappeared, and Hiei could feel the acid pool around his ankles once more.

"What are you doing?" Emi shrieked.

"You said we need to be in contact," Hiei replied as if it were obvious.

"Not like this," Emi muttered under her breath.

Hiei ignored her and stared around him.

"When I give the signal, shield us both, except for my right arm, I'm going to force the worm to let us out," Hiei explained calmly.

"You really are demanding," Emi growled," first you make me make a net on stomach acid, now you want me to exclude stuff. I haven't done any of this before!"

"You said yourself that you do better under pressure. And I doubt death by digestion is your ideal way to go," Hiei dead-panned.

Emi glared daggers into his back from her upside down position.

"Fine, I'll do it." Emi retorted.

Hiei took a deep breath and secured Emi against his shoulder. He stretched out his right arm and created a small red flame in his palm. With one last glance to his left, he concentrated on the fleshy wall in front of him.

"Now!" Hiei demanded.

Emi weaved as quickly as possible, stopping when she reached his right shoulder. Hiei concentrated his energy into the flame, making it as hot and as large as possible. Emi propped herself up with her arms and stared into the blazing inferno. By now, Hiei's entire arm was coated in the quickly spreading flames. He sent blasts at the walls, singing and burning through the protective layer of mucus. They could feel the ground beneath them shifting, and the acid sloshed against the barrier. With a loud shriek the leech reeled back and threw up. Emi put all her concentration on keeping the barrier in place, and before she knew it, they were airborne. The dark reddish-purple sky of demon world greeted them and with a crash they landed into the leafy canopy of the forest, breaking through branches, and finally landing in a heap in some bushes.

"We're alive," Emi said shocked," Oh my gosh, we're alive!"

She slumped back into the bush and released the barrier with a relieved sigh. She reveled in the strange caws of the demon birds around them. After a few moments of relaxation, she realized her companion hadn't made any snarky comment about her behavior. Her eyes drifted to her left, when she heard some shuffling. Hiei sat next to her with his cloak over his right arm.

"Hey, are you alright?" Emi asked concerned." You haven't insulted me in a while."

"Do you want me to?" Hiei groused.

"Well, not really, but I don't want you to be quiet either," Emi answered," we just survived a giant leech from hell! You should be celebrating with me."

"I don't have time to join in your stupid activities," Hiei snarled back.

"Fine, be an ass, see if I care," Emi mumbled as she turned away.

Another shuffle was heard, and Emi gave into her curiosity and turned around. Hiei wasn't paying attention to her, so she was free to watch his next move quietly. He slowly lifted his cloak and gingerly moved his arm in front of him. His eyes darted up to look as Emi as she gasped at the sight of his arm. It was burned in several places from the leech's stomach acid.

"You're hurt," Emi murmured guiltily.

"Hn, there was no other choice," Hiei explained emotionlessly," If you had shielded my arm the fire would have been trapped inside the barrier."

"Does it hurt?" Emi asked unsurely.

"What do you think?" Hiei testily retorted.

He startled when he heard no reply. While he had only met the girl yesterday, he knew she wouldn't just let such a snarky comment slide. Hiei turned in her direction and noticed her looking at his arm guiltily.

"You saved my life again," Emi whispered." And you got hurt doing it."

"I told you there was no other option," Hiei grumbled.

"You could have let me die," Emi replied," It's not like you owe me anything, and I've been nothing but a burden."

"Don't take me for one of those mindless monsters spirit world likes to make demons out to be," Hiei said meeting her eyes," I do have morals, and I gave you my word."

"I know, and I thank you for that," Emi replied with a soft smile," Looks like I owe you a life debt again."

Hiei rolled his eyes. Again with the life debts. They were such a foreign concept to him. In demon world there was no such thing. It was kill or be killed. Anyone going around saving others always had a hidden agenda.

He looked up at Emi's hopeful face, and sighed. He might as well go with it he thought. If he protested she would just argue back, and he really didn't have the patience to deal with another useless argument. Besides, one of his arms wouldn't be of much use unless he took care of it. He might as well take advantage of this opportunity while she was still willing.

"You can start by bandaging my arm," Hiei said as he held his arm up.

Emi looked at him incredulously. No argument this time? Well she wasn't going to complain. Did his arm hurt more than he let on, she wondered. There had to be a reason he had given in so quickly.

"Hurry up, woman," Hiei growled impatiently.

"We should clean the wound first," Emi suggested.

"I'm a fire demon, we have naturally higher temperatures," Hiei answered as if it were obvious," any infection will be burned away. Just bandage it."

Emi rolled her eyes before reaching towards her obi.

"What are you doing?" Hiei asked curiously.

"We need bandages don't we?" Emi answered," I was going to rip up one of the kimono layers."

Hiei rolled his eyes and motioned for her to stand up. She stood wearily and with much difficulty. He reached towards her feet. Emi watched him curiously. With one quick tug Hiei had pulled a long strip of fabric from the bottom of the first layer. Emi stared wide-eyed at the now knee length layer of her kimono. She could see the red of the next layer where the fabric had once been. She wondered whether she should be angry, but her thoughts were quickly interrupted.

"This is faster," Hiei said.

The dark plum fabric was shoved under her nose. She took it on instinct, and looked at the demon. Hiei sat impatiently in front of her. Right, she had other things to worry about. It wasn't like she was exposing an indecent amount of skin anyways. Hiei would have to tear through at least six more layers to get to the white silk fabric of the innermost robe. Whoever thought putting her in a layered kimono was a good idea should be beheaded or something, Emi thought wryly. These robes were seriously impractical.

Hiei watched Emi's face as she stood there in thought. Seriously, this girl was really spacey. But right now wasn't the time. He glared at her hoping to gain her attention. When that didn't work, he let out a very loud grunt. Emi jumped in surprise and turned to him. With a soft oh, she once more focused on the present situation.

She knelt and reached forward to start bandaging Hiei's arm. Her eyes remained trained on her task as Hiei shifted into a more comfortable position. He glanced over to watch her progress. Emi blushed when she felt his hot breath graze her neck, and quickened her pace. Unfortunately for her, Hiei hadn't survived this long by being unobservant. With a smirk he leaned his head forward and exhaled against her neck. Emi let out an undignified squeak. Hiei chuckled under his breath. In retaliation, Emi gave the fabric an extra harsh tug. Hiei released a pained hiss and pulled his head back.

"I'm almost done," Emi said sweetly.

Hiei's eyes narrowed. He wanted to retaliate, but she was still bandaging his arm. Once she finished, he would get back at her, he decided.

* * *

A loud scream echoed through the forest. The birds flew from the trees, frightened from the loud noise.

"Stay away," Emi screamed from the ground.

Hiei ignored her and continued to stalk forward. His bandaged hand was hidden behind his back. Emi watched him wearily and matched each of his steps with a backwards shuffle of her own. With a feral grin, Hiei pulled his fist from behind him and threw whatever he held at Emi. Emi gave another shriek and closed her eyes while covering her head. A few moments later, she slowly opened her eyes and brought her arms to her sides. Hiei stood before her chuckling, his eyes trained on her right sleeve. With apprehension, Emi followed his gaze. She completely froze when 8 beady black eyes met her own. With another scream she whacked the large hairy spider from her arm and scrambled to her feet. She took a few steps before falling forward onto her face. Hiei chuckled and walked over. Emi sat in front of him flailing her arms and whacking at her clothes. He looked down at her in amusement. He had vowed to get back at her, and boy was he enjoying the results.

* * *

Hiei piggybacked Emi through the forest towards the general direction of the portal. Her legs had been severely bruised when she had fallen into the leech's mouth. The excitement had kept the pain at bay, but once they had calmed down, Hiei realized Emi wasn't going to be able to walk. He was surprised he hadn't noticed before, with how she had been acting in the stomach. Well, he had other things to worry about, like getting out alive. But, still. He should have seen it earlier.

His thoughts were interrupted when Emi leaned her head forward and over his right shoulder. Her gaze was fixed on the pulsing black portal in front of them. Hiei noticed her lips were set into a small frown, and her grip on his shoulders tightened minutely. He truly didn't understand her need to go back to the palace, but he wasn't going to comment. She could make her own choices. Besides she wouldn't last a day in the Makai, so maybe going back was the safer choice after all.

"Will I see you again?" Emi asked.

"I hope not," Hiei retorted.

He lowered her to the ground and allowed her to use his shoulders to steady herself. Emi rolled her eyes and gave him a sad smile.

"Thank you for everything Hiei," Emi said, her voice quivering slightly," I haven't had this much excitement in a long time. Next time I see you, I'll fulfill my debt, and give you a new katana to replace the one you lost."

"There's no need," Hiei responded emotionlessly," I can find a weapon on my own, now that I don't need to babysit you."

A hurt expression momentarily flashed across Emi's face. She quickly hid it with another smile. Hiei noticed the look anyways, but refused to let guilt influence him. It was better if she never came back.

"We will meet again," Emi declared determinedly," you can't get rid of me that easily."

Hiei crossed his arms and grunted. Emi gave him one more half smile and limped towards the portal. Before she entered, she looked over her shoulder and unintentionally met eyes with Hiei.. With a short wave, she entered the portal and was swept away. She regretted lying to him, but it was better this way. She didn't want him to see her as King Enma's wife. For the first time, someone other than her family had treated her like an equal. Emi scrunched up her face, at the thought. Okay, Hiei hadn't treated her like an equal, more like a nuisance. But he had cared for her wellbeing, without expecting anything back. I want to meet him again, she thought. No, I'll make sure to meet him again Emi resolved as her body approached the light at the other end of the portal.

* * *

Hiei's eyes stared into the swirling vortex as he remembered their first meeting. In a trance, he walked forward and reached towards the portal. He had let her walk away once, but he wouldn't do it again. The portal suddenly started shrinking. Hiei's eyes widened and he leap forward. His fingers met air as the portal closed with a snap, and his vision turned black.

He woke up with a gasp. His arm was stretched out in front of him, as if to grab the last remnants of his dream. Kurama stood over Hiei with a pungent flower in his hand.

"Welcome back," Kurama greeted.

"What happened?" Hiei asked backing away from the foul smelling flower.

"You were hallucinating after smelling the scent of a carnivorous demon plant," Kurama explained

"Damn," Hiei mumbled as he cradled his aching head.

"So," Kurama said slowly," who's Emi?"

Hiei's eyes snapped towards Kurama.

"Have you lost your memory fox?" Hiei asked while rolling his eyes," She's the reason the toddler sent us into this giant death trap."

"Of course," Kurama replied," But what is she to you?"

"What nonsense are you speaking," Hiei growled before standing up.

He dusted off his pants and readjusted the sword at his side. His gaze fell on the two paths in front of him. Without glancing at the fox, he headed towards the one on the left. Kurama followed quietly. He knew he had hit a sore subject, but he needed to know whether or not the relationship between them would affect the mission.

"You said her name while you were unconscious," Kurama said quietly.

Hiei continued walking and Kurama walked faster to fall in step with him. Kurama turned his head to face Hiei.

"I don't mean to pry Hiei, but I need to know that you won't let your emotions control you," Kurama explained.

"Emotions are for the weak," Hiei snarled before he increased his pace.

"Then why do I sense such anger from you?" Kurama asked.

"Take care how you speak fox," Hiei stopped walking and bit out," I have no problem with silencing you permanently."

Kurama's eyes bore into Hiei's back. With a sigh he walked forward and placed his hand on Hiei's shoulder.

"I ask as a friend who cares Hiei," Kurama replied gently.

Hiei stared at the ground stubbornly. A tense silence surrounded the two demons. Kurama could feel Hiei's energy fluctuate with his emotions. With a huff Hiei shrugged Kurama's hand from his shoulder and continued forward. Kurama followed silently.

"I met her when she started repairs on the barrier," Hiei finally said," But she lied about her identity. She lied about a lot of things."

"Perhaps she had a reason. Were you friends?" Kurama asked curiously.

"No," Hiei said emotionlessly," I hate liars."

Kurama knew the conversation had ended then and there. But he could feel there was so much more Hiei wasn't telling him. He remembered the smile that graced Hiei's face when he said her name in his sleep. From his observations, he could almost say Hiei was acting like a scorned lover. Kurama snorted at his own thoughts. That was probably the least likely reason for Hiei's behavior, he reasoned. But still, the thought refused to leave his mind. Kurama wasn't satisfied with the lack of information he had gotten from the fire demon. But he knew one thing. Those two had been more than just acquaintances. Hiei wouldn't have reacted so strongly to a mere stranger. He would abide his time for now. Hiei may not be willing to talk, but Kurama was confident in his intelligence. He'd figure it out eventually. As long as Hiei didn't let his emotions get in the way of his fighting, Kurama was satisfied. For now. ..

* * *

A little more of a look at our lovely couple's chaotic first meeting. But remember, Emi has never been to the demon world, so you can't expect her to be able to survive on her own. She isn't a weak damsel in distress. She just isn't ready for the wilderness that is the Makai. Her powers are also completely defensive, and she did contribute to their survival.

Kurama! You're getting very warm~!

Oh yeah, I was wondering. Does Emi remind you guys of someone personality wise? Just a bit at times? Particularly someone in the series? Tell me what you think. I want to know if you guys see it too :)

Random anecdote time~! I have a friend that hates worms, and so I dedicate this chapter to her. She found a worm in an apple she was eating once. And I found a worm in a chestnut I was eating a while back. . Anyways! My friend and I do not condone torture or violence towards living things in general, but I'm sure she'll appreciate the fictional burning of a leech from the inside out….just saying…. .

Review please! :D


	11. Chapter 9

An Eternity of Lies Ch. 9

* * *

Thanks to Roses-of-Envy, SakiHanajima1, and lilnightmare17 for the reviews! :D I'm still trying to work out Emi's powers but the barrier will definitely have offensive uses as well. She knows Hiei after all, and he's all about attacking haha XD Well onwards! Enjoy!

* * *

"_Of course, even fools get lucky." - Hiei_

* * *

Yusuke hated silence. Sure he liked quiet places, and being alone on the school roof, but this was different. There was no noise other than the footsteps belonging to him and Kuwabara. And this told him one thing. That they had walked into something dangerous. True, the entire labyrinth was dangerous, but no matter where they had traveled, they could hear the silent rustles of the tentacle like shadows as they shifted and moved around throughout the structure. Now though, they had made it into a corridor that emitted no sound at all. The shadowy tendrils were only here to drag off souls and devour them, if even they didn't make it down this corridor it either meant there were no souls or something was destroying any souls and tendrils that made their way here. Yusuke was usually a lucky guy, but today he wasn't feeling it one bit. They were definitely walking towards something dangerous, something strong enough to destroy the one native residence of the maze. The hairs on his arms rose, and he tensed in anticipation. He could feel something in the darkness before him now. It's energy felt like electricity, and he could feel jolts traveling up his arm. He smiled in anticipation. Besides him, Kuwabara stood apprehensively, sweating from the dangerous aura only he could sense. His sword was out already. He wasn't taking any chances. Whatever was in front of them was by far the strongest opponent they had faced since entering the labyrinth.

* * *

Kurama stopped mid step. Someone from the other pair had activated their bracelet. Hiei stood next to him, his gaze trained curiously on the fox.

"Someone has activated the bracelet," Kurama said," Perhaps they have found her already."

"Then where are they?" Hiei asked.

"I can faintly sense them somewhere towards the east" Kurama said thoughtfully, "Can you see them with your Jagan?"

"If I could, don't you think I would have found the girl by now," Hiei growled.

"So you did try," Kurama replied amusedly," Must be terrible to have your main advantage blinded."

"You think you're so clever, just lead the way fox," Hiei demanded nastily.

"Of course," Kurama said serenely," No need to get so angry, it was merely an observation."

Hiei gave Kurama an unimpressed look. Kurama continued to smile serenely, before he knelt down. He reached into his hair and pulled out the same type of plant he had used to construct the bracelets. With a bit of energy the plant sprouted the same leaves and vines that circled the other two boys' wrists. Kurama didn't stop there though, he continued the flow of energy, and soon a glowing orange flower could be seen blooming from the middle of the vines. Kurama placed the plant gently on the floor. It sat there in a heap of vines, the pulsing flower situated innocently in the middle.

"How lovely, the fox decided to decorate," Hiei said sarcastically.

"Wait for it," Kurama said petting the leaves," they're usually a little shy."

Hiei rolled his eyes. Only the fox would treat a plant like a prized dog and pamper it. He turned to look around the corridor for any danger. Something shifted in his peripheral and he turned to see it as it approached. He looked down, and watched bemused as a ball of vines the size of his head rolled by. The flower's pulsing glow could be seen through the leaves. Two vines were unraveled from the ball and swaying around in the air. They acted almost like antennas he mused.

"It took a bit of coaxing, but he'll lead us to the others," Kurama said smugly.

"You gave it a gender?" Hiei asked incredulously.

"No, it's always been a boy," Kurama explained as if it were obvious," the vines around the boys' wrists are female. The male plants uproot and travel to find the females when they are ready for mating. They follow a scent the females give off when their leaves fall. It's quite amazing. I just raised him to the point of maturity. He's quite handsome if I do say so myself."

Kurama happily walked off after the plant as it turned a corner. Hiei followed, his eyebrows raised. Maybe the fox had gone insane during his years in the human world. Or maybe he was just lonely; after all, he was treating the plant like his own offspring. Hiei muttered under his breath. No matter how many years he lived, he still had to suffer the antics of idiots. In front of him, Kurama grinned. It was so fun to mess with the fire demon.

* * *

A small hooded figure sat hunched over and crossed legged in the very center of the fog. Around them was a tiny dome of yellow light, just big enough to surround them comfortably and protect them. If one were to look closer, they would notice that the yellow dome was in fact a barrier. This barrier was so densely packed with layers of stringy energy that no one would be able to see in or out of it. There were also hundreds of hair-like strands of energy connected to the figure from the surrounding barrier. Periodically, the barrier would pulse faintly and in turn a thin strands would pulse with electricity. The pulses would then traveled down the string until they reached the figure. The figure didn't move. If it weren't for the slight movement of their breathing, one might have mistaken them for dead. Another pulse of energy traveled down a string, this one larger and stronger than the others. The fingers on the figure's right hand twitched, and a beam of electricity was sent back up the string. Someone was messing with the barrier, but too bad for them. They were in for a surprise.

* * *

Kuwabara seriously wondered why he still associated with the people he did. He should have stopped tagging along on these missions a long time ago. Don't get him wrong, he would do anything for his friends, but this whole situation was just ridiculous.

"Hey Kuwabara," Yusuke yelled in-between laughs," How's it hanging?"

"You're not funny Urameshi," Kuwabara yelled back," Get me down from here."

"But you make such a nice piñata," Urameshi said in amusement.

Kuwabara glared at Yusuke from his position in the air.

When they had made it down the corridor they were met with a gigantic barrier in the shape of a dome. The barrier was quite similar to the barrier separating the human and demon world, so Kuwabara had thought it would be perfectly fine to cut the barrier with his sword. Unfortunately, this barrier was completely different compared to the demon barrier. Why, you may ask? Because this barrier was still connected to its maker, and so remained malleable to the creator's will. Kuwabara had cut through the barrier easily, but what he wasn't expecting was for the broken netting to stitch back together. In confusion, he went to cut the barrier again, but was met with a face full of yellow strands of energy. The yellow ropes coiled around him and held him up into the air. He had cut as many as he could, but they would just grow back and attack with a vengeance. The strands were able to snag his limbs and restrain him, to Yusuke's amusement. This is what led to the current situation in which Kuwabara hung suspended about 20 feet in the air like an upside down starfish.

"Just get me down from here already," Kuwabara whined," I'm not into this kind of stuff."

"You sure?" Yusuke snickered," This happened in the dark tournament too. Is there something you aren't telling me?"

"Urameshi," Kuwabara yelled scandalized," I'm not like that."

"Okay, okay," Yusuke humored," I get it. I was just joking."

His face turned serious and he looked back towards the barrier. While his attacks were powerful, he knew only Kuwabara's sword could make a cut through the netting. With measured steps, Yusuke walked around the barrier, looking for any weak points or openings. As expected, he found none. Above him, Kuwabara let out a small gasp.

"Hey!" Kuwabara yelled," Didn't Koenma say his mom could make barriers or something."

"Now that you say it," Yusuke shouted back, " he did. You think this is hers?"

"Maybe, I mean, I'm not sure," Kuwabara loudly replied.

"Who else could it be?" Yusuke asked confused," It looks exactly like the Kekkai Barrier."

"Yeah, but whatever is behind it is pure evil," Kuwabara said," I can feel a really strong demonic energy behind the barrier."

"If it's a trick then we just have to kick some demon butt," Yusuke replied confidently.

"Yeah," Kuwabara agreed," But first, get me down!"

"How am I supposed to do that?" Yusuke wondered.

He reached towards his bracelet and pulled at the leaves. The vine grew darker as each leaf fell.

"Maybe we can ask Kurama or Hiei," Yusuke muttered as he continued removing the leaves.

As if Yusuke had said the magic word, the barrier suddenly pulsed, and Kuwabara's limbs were released. All Yusuke heard was a surprised shout before a crushing weight fell on him and plastered him to the ground. A groan could be heard above him. He turned his head with difficulty and looked over his shoulder. Kuwabara had fallen on top of him, and was now pushing himself off the flattened half-demon.

"Whoa, Urameshi," Kuwabara said amazed," how'd you do that?"

"I don't know," Urameshi replied slowly.

They both turned to see the barrier was now pulsing, and the electricity traveling through it had picked up speed. Yusuke reached out a hand, but quickly pulled it back. The little lightning bolts weren't just for show. His fingers twitched, and his arm tingled. If he had been a weaker demon, the electricity would have knocked him out cold.

Strings of energy suddenly lashed out at the two boys. They leaped back in surprise, and backed up until the strands could no longer reach them. Once the boys were out of reach, the strands retreated back into the barrier, as if they were never there.

"What do we do now?" Kuwabara asked.

"I already called the others," Yusuke replied," so I guess we wait."

Both boys got comfortable on the floor. They eyed the barrier apprehensively. Looks like they would be waiting a while.

* * *

The rolling ball of foliage came to a stop. The two tentacles above it swayed back and forth, as if looking for a signal. They paused once they were both pointing to the right, and with a little bounce, it was rolling down the corridor once more.

Hiei and Kurama followed the ball closely. Not only did they need to keep it in sight, but they also needed to protect the plant. It was the only way they would find the other boys after all.

Hiei's sword was unsheathed, and in less than a second the sliced up body of a large spider demon rained down around him. Kurama walked onwards as if there hadn't been an interruption, and Hiei fell into step next to him. The ball continued rolling, the light from it pulsing faintly.

* * *

Kurama was pretty sure they had been walking for at least 2 hours before the ball came to a sudden halt and curled its tentacles around itself. He looked around and saw no one nearby. In front of him was a long corridor that seemed to go on forever. He couldn't see the end, but he could sense a dangerous aura emitting from the distance.

"It's broken," Hiei said emotionlessly.

The ball trembled and flailed its tentacles angrily in his direction. Kurama chuckled at the spectacle. Hiei's eyes narrowed towards him. He wouldn't be surprised if Kurama's energy had enhanced the plant enough to give it emotions.

"He," Kurama emphasized as he bent down," is just fine the aura coming from the hallway is scaring him."

"Well, it better snap out of it quick," Hiei mumbled.

"With that attitude, he won't do anything for you," Kurama said impishly.

He then proceeded to turn away and give the plant his undivided attention.

"It's alright," Kurama said gently," We won't let anything happen to you."

Hiei's eye twitched. Was Kurama seriously comforting a plant right now? With an eye roll he walked past them both.

"If it's too much of a coward, we can take it from here," Hiei said annoyed.

The plant seized up and slowly turned. The tentacles that were once held close to its body now stretched out into the air. The whole ball itself was trembling in fear, but with resolve it rolled forward. Hiei smirked as the ball stopped in front of him and flailed angrily, before continuing on down the hallway. Hiei followed at an easy pace. Kurama chuckled. The plant may have been grown enough to be able to mate, but he never said anything about it having a mature personality. Without a sound he stood back up and followed the two down the hall.

Several minutes later, he could pick up the scents of Kuwabara and Yusuke. He looked over at Hiei and received a nod. They were getting closer. The ball in front of them sped up with excitement. It was approaching a dangerous aura, but there were female plants ahead. Kurama reached down quickly and scooped up the plant. It thrashed indignantly, so close to its goal. The fox almost felt sorry for it as he used his energy to force the plant to regress into a seed. Both boys continued walking once the seed was stored back into Kurama's hair. One minute later, they saw the barrier, and the two figures sitting against the wall glaring at it.

* * *

"Looks like we're all here," Yusuke grinned as he stood up.

"So she is behind this barrier?" Kurama asked while rubbing his chin.

"We don't know, there's something dangerous behind there though," Kuwabara said.

"It's her," Hiei said.

"How are you so sure?" Kurama asked suspiciously.

"Hn, I already told you I was acquainted with her fox, don't push it," Hiei grumbled.

"Wait, you knew her?" Yusuke exclaimed," Why weren't we told this."

"It's not important," Hiei mumbled before walking forward.

"Wait! Don't touch it!" Yusuke said urgently.

Hiei rolled his eyes and continued forward. The other three boys watched in shock and confusion as Hiei walked right through the barrier, to the other side.

"Stop catching flies and hurry up," Hiei demanded," I haven't got all day."

"Not everyone has an extra eye that can do magic voodoo," Yusuke retorted.

"I don't think it's the eye," Kurama said contemplatively.

Hiei rolled his eyes and held out his unsheathed sword. He motioned for them to take it, but none of them budged. He glared at them and grit his teeth.

"If you don't want to resemble a fly in a bug zapper I suggest you grab the sword," Hiei growled," I can bring you in if we are in contact."

"You want us to hold onto a shard blade," Kuwabara asked incredulously," are you crazy?"

"Hn, do you have a better idea?" Hiei snarled," Because I refuse to hold your hands."

"Not like I would want that either," Kuwabara mumbled.

Kurama stepped forward and placed his fingers gently against the blade. He walked forward, making sure to keep constant contact with the metal. With a surprised blink, he found himself within the barrier, completely intact. Yusuke quickly followed his example, and was followed by Kuwabara.

"Wow, that was anticlimactic. That's a pretty nifty trick," Yusuke commented," How'd you do that?"

"I'm surprised you know what anticlimactic means," Hiei said dodging the question.

He then proceeded to sheath his sword and start walking into the fog that was trapped within the barrier.

"Okay, fine. Don't answer me," Yusuke said with a pout before stalking after the fire demon.

* * *

A large pulse traveled urgently through the network of strings, and with one final pulse, it forced it way through the dense barrier in the center and down the hair-like strands to its master. The figure in the middle jolted. Slowly their head rose, and a slow grin formed on their face. Their hood shadowed their face as they opened their eyes, so all that could be seen were the whites of their eyes, gleaming in the darkness. A few snaps were heard as three of the thin strands attached to the figure broke and dissipated.

* * *

Far in the distance, an angry roar was heard. A large Minotaur stomped out from a large cage of energy. It had been trapped in that cage for so long, and now it was suddenly open. It wasn't going to take that for granted. With a deep breath, it reveled in being free to roam once more. It grunted, and looked back as the cage faded from existence. Just seeing the cage again made it angry. With another roar, it stomped off. It would find the source of the barrier that had trapped him, if it was the last thing he did. Anyone who got in its way was as good as dead.

A few feet away, similar cages opened and freed their occupants. Usually demons were territorial beings and would slaughter each other at such close proximity, but for once they would unite. They had all been trapped in these cages, and electrocuted if they tried to escape. In a way, they were comrades, because they all wanted to slaughter the person responsible for putting them in their confinement. As one, they followed the Minotaur and marched forward through the fog not knowing that their cages were placed in the largest layer of the dome. They would have to get through seven other layers to even make contact with the figure's last wall of defense. But, they would never know that, because they were marching a straight path towards the four intruders, who had a goal of their own, and were willing to do anything to accomplish it.

The figure in the middle of the structure continued to grin. The intruders may have gotten past the first wall somehow, but a hoard of angry and bloodthirsty demons were approaching them. With a bit of shuffling the figure shifted into a more comfortable position, the thin strands that connected them to the barrier, stretching and shrinking with the movement. All there was to do was wait for now. And the figure did with baited breath. Nothing exciting happened in the labyrinth anymore, until now that is.

* * *

"Are you the one that caged me?" the Minotaur demanded to know.

"Uh, what?" Yusuke asked confused as he turned to the others," What the hell is the giant cow talking about?"

"I don't know Urameshi," Kuwabara answered hesitantly," But he looks mad."

"Perhaps, he has mistaken us for someone else," Kurama suggested.

"Hn, who cares, the weakling is in the way," Hiei cut in," Just dispose of him and keep walking."

"Gee shorty, you seriously need some new hobbies," Kuwabara answered eyeing the fire demon carefully.

Hiei rolled his eyes. Let the buffoon think what he wanted. The Minotaur snorted angrily. How dare they ignore him, and insult him. At first he had been planning to find his jailer, but now he was angry. Maybe, he would use them as a warm-up. He slid one leg back and then charged at the boys. His giant axe raised high above his head.

"Do not insult me you puny insects," the Minotaur screamed as he brought his axe down.

"Hn, all brawn and no brain," Hiei muttered," Someone else take him, his blood will just rust my blade."

"A Minotaur in a labyrinth, how amusing," Kurama chuckled to himself.

He took out his rose whip, and with a few decisive flicks, the Minotaur fell to the ground, bleeding profusedly. The axe he held fell to the floor with a loud clang.

"Dang, Kurama," Kuwabara exclaimed," You didn't show him any mercy at all."

"We don't have time to waste," Hiei retorted.

"Uh guys?" Yusuke interrupted," We have company. And they don't look very happy we killed the bull."

Hiei and Kuwabara turned away from each other and followed Yusuke's gaze. In front of them was a large group of at least thirty demons of all species. They all had their fangs bared and their weapons and claws raised. A panther demon stepped forward.

"We have never seen you around here, so you must be our jailer," it growled," We will get our revenge."

Without warning, the demons charged forward. The four boys tensed up, weapons drawn and ready for a fight.

"I don't know what you're accusing us of," Yusuke said as he punched a tree demon," but if it's a fight you want I won't turn you down."

Kuwabara grunted an agreement as he hacked at the swarm of crow demons trying to claw off his face. Hiei merely flitted through the group of demons, slicing them as he went. Kurama stood calmly behind the carnage, pondering over the demons' words. He flicked his wrist absentmindedly to take down the centipede demon attacking from behind, but his mind was still elsewhere.

A few moments later, the four boys were surrounded with various pieces of the demons. They waited, but no shadow tendrils came to take away the bodies.

"Whoever controls this barrier has either scared away or destroyed the tendrils in the area," Kurama mused.

"Isn't that a good thing," Kuwabara asked," they were kind of creepy."

"Yes and no," Kurama replied," It's good that we don't have to deal with them, but that means whatever is in this barrier is strong."

"Who cares," Yusuke grumbled," what I want to know is why all those demons kept calling us jailers. And why so many different kinds were working together. "

"Yes, I was wondering that too," Kurama said," What do you think Hiei?"

Hiei's eyes flashed towards Kurama before they once again faced straight ahead of him.

"You know what I think," Hiei growled," stop trying to extract information you won't get."

"If it meant nothing, then why be so defensive?" Kurama asked.

"I don't have to explain anything to you," Hiei snarled before he walked off.

"What's got his panties in a twist," Yusuke asked.

"Who knows," Kurama answered mysteriously as he followed the fire demon.

Kuwabara and Yusuke exchanged glances and followed with confused expression. With a start Yusuke went over the conversation in his head.

"Wait," Yusuke exclaimed," so why did they call us jailers."

"Something trapped them in the barrier," Hiei explained emotionlessly," they were probably recently set free. And like idiots, they assumed the first people they found were responsible. "

"It's quite genius really," Kurama commented," The demons are agitated and angry enough to work together. Since they are being led to us, they will assume we have something to do with the imprisonment because they have never seen us before. Whoever created this barrier has full control of their movement."

"So it's like one of Kaito's territory things?" Yusuke asked.

"In a sense, yes, except if the creator really wanted to, they could separate from the barrier and it would still stand," Kurama replied," a territory would just collapse."

"Then how do we know our guy is still here?" Kuwabara asked.

"The demons that attacked us," Hiei replied sinisterly," they were released recently."

"Yes," Kurama agreed," If the barrier maker had left, the demons would have either been trapped for good, or would have killed each other long before. Demons of their level can only work together for so long, before they grow power hungry and battle for dominance."

Hiei rolled his eyes at the thought. He looked forward and could see a slight yellow glow through the fog. They were approaching the second layer of the barriers. He didn't know how many there were, but it didn't matter. There were sure to be demons in each one. His hand inched towards his sword. He was getting pissed off. The barriers had recognized him, so he knew Emi was here, but she was sending demons after them. She better he thought cynically, because when he got his hands on her she would be wishing she had run instead of messing with him. He reached out and let his hand sink slightly into the second layer of the barrier.

"You know I hate liars. So keep the trash coming Emi, maybe I'll be entertained enough to show you mercy," Hiei whispered ominously before crossing the barrier. Only one other person heard the warning. Kurama's eyebrows rose to his hairline when he heard the fire demon's words. He shook his head, and sighed. He had pretty much figured out the two had been a couple at some point, but wasn't Hiei being a little too bitter? But then again, Hiei had been abandoned multiple times in his life. Her disappearance must have been deeply scarring for him. He absentmindedly touched Hiei's sword and walked through the second barrier after the others. He watched as the fire demon turned and continued walking without a word. The sword was still in his hands, meaning he was revving for a fight. There was no point thinking about it now, but Kurama hoped Emi knew what she was doing. Because angering Hiei was just not something people did, if they wanted to live.

* * *

Two large pulses went through the barrier. The first carrying the message of the first wave of demons' defeat. The second, carrying the whispered warning. The figure had moved a while back, and was now lying on their stomach with their head on their folded arms, legs kicking in the air. The first pulse was the first to reach the central barrier. The figure didn't react at all to the news. It was expected, the four intruders had to be strong to get past the first layer so easily.

A few moments later, the second pulse made it to the barrier and slid down one of the hair thin threads. It made contact with the figure, and a few seconds later, the figure's legs froze in mid movement. The figure, now confirmed to be Emi, slowly lifted her head and braced her palms against the floor. She pushed herself up and leaned her back against the barrier's wall. The hood fell from her head, and her lavender hair fell out to pool around her. She leaned her head back against the wall. A small scar could be seen on her neck. With a shaking hand, she reached up and touched her fingers to it.

This had to be a trick. She wouldn't put it past Enma to send an illusion down to torment her. Hiei was dead. But his voice, traveled through the barrier, like it had so long ago. Enma would never send his soul to the labyrinth with her; she knew this. There were four people, and Hiei was a loner anyways. Still, she couldn't stop the hope rising in her chest. She took a deep calming breath, and with steady hands she reached out and snapped another set of strings. If it was Hiei, then the next demons shouldn't be a problem. Besides, she would never back down from a challenge, especially from him. With a small smile, she closed her eyes and let her mind travel through the strings until she had her focus on the four boys. While she couldn't actually see them, her barrier would narrate the events just fine. She sat back and relaxed. The demons she had released still had not reached the boys. Waiting patiently, she let her mind wander back to the past.

* * *

Hey guys! They are going to meet for reals soon! I hope you're all as excited as I am! I've been kind of busy with getting ready for the second round of midterms, and writing my speeches for speech class. Not to mention the final projects coming up. (So time consuming TOT) Busy busy busy! I'll still be writing, but I might cut it close. So please be a bit lenient. Thanks and please review! :)


	12. Chapter 10

An Eternity of Lies Ch. 10

* * *

I'm cutting it close. I know. I know. I'm really glad you all have stuck with me so far. I know it's taking a while, but I wanted to give you all a bit of insight on the relationship between the two in the past before bringing them together. But your patience will be rewarded. They will be meeting in this chapter! And there will definitely be interaction between them in the coming chapters. Hope it meets all of your expectations. Thanks lilnightmare17, Roses-of-Envy, SakiHanajima1,and Sanity'sRival for the reviews! And onwards! :D

* * *

"_The world doesn't give many chances. Looks like you've just lost yours." – Hiei_

* * *

"Hiei, let's talk about this," Emi bargained as she nervously backed away," You know it was an accident. I seriously didn't mean to. Remember, it was your idea!"

Hiei stalked forward, glaring at her. His hand was wrapped around the hilt of the sword she had given to him months ago. With a sadistic grin he watched as Emi bumped into a tree and turned her head in surprise. She gasped and chuckled nervously as she turned to face him once more. With a scream she ducked as Hiei swung his sword at her neck. A few strands of lavender hair fluttered to the ground. With her eyes wide in shock she stared at the hair on the ground. A metallic glint entered her vision, and she fell to the ground and rolled away. The sword was now where her head had been. With a gulp she looked up to look at Hiei's face, but his eyes were shadowed as he approached. She blinked and scrambled to her feet, before turning and running off into the foliage. Hiei rolled his eyes, and followed at a leisurely pace. Didn't she realize he had slowed down his swings?

He sheathed his sword. A thud was heard in front of him, and he let out a small snicker when he found the source. Emi had tripped over her robes again and was currently wresting with the fabric. She froze when two black boots entered her vision. Her eyes traveled up and she met eyes with the very amused fire demon that looked down at her. He wasn't mad, she realized. He tricked her. Her face transformed into a scowl.

Hiei rolled his eyes and reached into a bag he had been carrying. Emi turned slightly, curious to see what the rustling noise was. Instead, she was met with a face full of fabric. She sat up and glared at Hiei, but he merely grunted and gestured towards the clothes.

"You can't continue traveling in demon world with those clothes," he explained quietly," you trip every few steps and are just making yourself an easy target."

"You could have just told me instead of scaring me half to death," Emi mumbled indignantly," I've probably lost ten years off my life."

"Don't be dramatic, and put them on," Hiei retorted impatiently.

"And where would I change?" Emi asked.

"Behind the tree," Hiei deadpanned.

Emi just stared at him incredulously.

"If you're worried about me peeking, then don't," Hiei said turning away," there's nothing to see."

Emi gaped at him completely stunned. With an angry huff she stomped off behind the tree. She gently placed the clothes of the ground and picked up the first item on top of the pile. With a shake it fell open to reveal a black t-shirt. She repeated the process with the second and found a pair of baggy black sweatpants.

"Are you done yet?" Hiei asked impatiently," I can see the sun setting already."

Emi could feel her eye twitching in annoyance. She ignored the question and changed as quickly as possible. The shirt was pretty snug, but the pants were too large. She deftly rolled the waistband of the pants until it hung snuggly on her hips without falling.

"Hn, it could be worse," Hiei amusedly said.

Emi jumped and searched frantically for the source of the noise. Hiei stood on the tree branch above her with a mocking grin on his face.

"You pervert!" Emi exclaimed.

Hiei rolled his eyes and jumped off the branch. He landed with a soft thud, and walked forward until he was only a few inches from Emi.

"I already told you, there's nothing to see," Hiei said.

Emi fumed, her hands clenched into fists at her side. She swung her arm forward to punch Hiei in the face, but he caught the fist and shoved her to the ground. He stalked forward and crouched in front of her.

"Do you really want to do this again?" Hiei asked in amusement," It didn't work the last time, and it won't work now."

Emi glared back at him before turning away and pouting. A shuffle was heard from the fire demon, and she turned around just in time to see his fist approaching her face. She clenched her eyes shut and waited for the pain, but felt nothing. Her eyes opened slowly, and she stared cross-eyed at the fist hovering right in front of her nose.

"This is how you make a fist," Hiei explained monotonously as his hand returned to his side," You would have broken your thumb if you punched the way you were planning to."

Emi looked up at him in confusion, not really grasping what had just happened. Hiei pushed off his knees and stood back to his full height. He turned sideways and crossed his arms. He stared at the setting sun before he continued.

"You are also able to make barriers," Hiei continued," So you should have blocked my attack instead of running."

His words slowly processed in her head, and her eyes lit up in realization. She stared at him incredulously as she scrambled to her feet.

"So that was all a test?" Emi exclaimed in shock," You weren't trying to kill me because I hit you in the stomach?"

"If you call that mosquito bite a punch, then yes," Hiei mocked," Your chance of surviving even an hour in the Makai is in the negative range."

Emi glared at him angrily. What a total jerk!

"You asked me to train you," Hiei said as if reading her thoughts," You never took into account my training methods."

With that he turned towards her and unsheathed his sword. With a demonic grin he brought the sword down. Emi stared wide-eyed, she wouldn't be able to dodge the swing. She closed her eyes, covered her head, and willed a barrier to form around her. A clang was heard, and when she opened her eyes, she saw Hiei's sword had been stopped inches from her face, by a wall of strings. She grinned in triumph, but it was short lived. Hiei proceeded to punch the ground next to her, creating a crater before reaching through the opening under the netting and gripping her ankle. With a tug she was dragged from her barrier and held upside down with ease.

"Lesson two," Hiei said emotionlessly," Protect yourself on all sides. Your enemy can and will attack from the ground. Congratulations, your survival rate has now gone up to zero."

He then proceeded to drop her on her head and saunter away. Emi grumbled angrily as she righted herself. She wanted revenge, and she wanted it now. She sent a string of her energy careening towards Hiei's unguarded back. It wrapped around his ankle and yanked. Hiei's eyes widened in surprise from his upside position in the air. Emi stood in front of him laughing hysterically and clutching her stomach. He narrowed his eyes and sent his sword speeding towards her head. Emi looked up just in time to see the approaching sword, and dived to the ground in the nick of time. Her concentration was broken and Hiei flipped in the air to land lightly on his feet. Emi pushed herself up and stared at the sword currently impaled in the ground. She didn't turn to see Hiei's approach.

"Lesson three," Hiei said amusedly," Don't let your guard down."

With a light kick to her backside, Emi fell forward onto her face. She growled as she pushed herself up and fell into a sitting position. Hiei walked around her and pulled his sword from the ground.

"And I thought it was the clothes that made you so clumsy," Hiei taunted with a smirk," Guess it's all you after all."

Emi gave a shout of indignation before throwing the nearest rock at his head. Hiei dodged as expected and turned towards her. He lifted the blade and pointed it at her.

"We will be training until there is no sunlight to see with," Hiei said viciously," I'll make sure you wish you never asked for my help."

Emi stared at the approaching demon in fear. What the hell had she gotten herself into?

* * *

Emi's eyes flew open, and she let out a huff. Of all memories, why did she have to think of that one? She had to admit, those torture sessions did make her barriers much stronger. Many of her offensive attacks had also been created on the fly when he had been attacking her. But still, that damn sadistic demon! A pulse of energy made contact with her, shaking her out of her thoughts. She shifted her attention to the four intruders. Looks like her captive demons had just made contact with them. She closed her eyes and trained her ears on the two groups. A fight was inevitable, and she wanted to see how strong these boys were. Maybe if they were strong enough, she would fight them herself. It had been so long since she partook in a good fight.

* * *

It had been hours, and the boys had made it through another five barriers already. Every time they passed through one layer though, they were met with opponents much stronger than the last. Not to mention, the number of enemies seemed to double at each layer as well. Sure, the opponents weren't too difficult to defeat, but the boys were getting tired of the repetition. At this level, their opponents were already ranging from high B to low A-class demons. They didn't know how many more layers they would need to get through, and were worried they might have to fight multiple S-class demons.

"These guys are never ending!" Yusuke exclaimed in frustration," Where the hell do they keep coming from?"

"Who cares," Kuwabara yelled back." Just keep killing them."

"There wouldn't be this many if someone hadn't antagonized the owner of this barrier," Kurama growled, glaring at Hiei.

"Wait, what does that mean?" Kuwabara replied in confusion.

"Hiei, here decided to issue a challenge before we passed through the second barrier," Kurama rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"What?" Yusuke screamed.

"Why the hell would you do that shorty?" Kuwabara added on.

Hiei ignored them all and continued to cut down the demons running at him. The two boys continued yelling at him and demanding to know his reasoning. His eyebrow developed a tick, and he took out his frustration on his opponents. The two boys also sped up in their attacking. They wanted to finish this quickly so they could interrogate the fire demon. Kurama stood back and inwardly grinned. That had worked way better than he had hoped. He walked backwards until he was out of range and relaxed, content to watch the three boys decimate their opponents.

* * *

Emi kept her focus on the four boys. They were quite amusing, and she found herself chuckling throughout their fights. She had underestimated them. They had gone through hundreds of demons and they didn't seem to be tiring very much. In fact, they were already on the last layer. How interesting to see such strong stubborn people working together. Her barrier pulsed again, and she focused on the sidelines of the battle. One of the boys wasn't fighting anymore. He didn't seem injured, more amused. The other three boys had also picked up the pace. Well that wouldn't do, she thought. Maybe she would play with him while she waited for them. It had been so long since she had messed around for pure amusement and not to protect herself. Hopefully this boy would prove entertaining.

* * *

Kurama leapt forward just in time to dodge the strands of barrier heading towards his back. The strands slammed into the ground and sent pieces of the hallway flying everywhere. The broken stone floor immediately melded together around the strands, which simply dissipated to allow the stones to fill in the holes they had made. Looks like he wouldn't be able to relax after all Kurama thought. With narrowed eyes, he watched tensely as new strands formed in front of him. They slithered on the ground in front of him, but made no move to attack. He watched wearily as they started twisting and weaving together. His eyes widened in shock when they started to curl in on themselves to create words.

"Hello," they wrote.

Kurama slowly lowered his hand that had been in his hair, ready to grab a seed.

"I apologize for the attack, but I needed you to turn around," they continued," What is your name?"

Kurama lifted his eyebrow and remained quiet.

"Don't be shy," the strands wrote out," I only wish to talk."

"Kurama," he said quietly glancing quickly to the boys and back.

"They'll be occupied for a while yet," wrote the strings," Kurama, interesting. Any relation to Youko Kurama?"

"Perhaps," Kurama answered wearily.

"No need to be so on guard," the strings writhed into more sentences," I'm actually quite a fan."

"Yes, I am him," Kurama conceded," in a sense."

"How exciting," the strings wrote quickly," maybe you can tell me of some of your heists. Especially when you stole from the Spirit World vaults. Those are my favorite."

Kurama had to chuckle at that. "I have done it many times," he said with a small smile.

"Tell me all of them." The strings wrote excitedly," In fact, I'll open the barrier for you."

"I'm not sure I can trust you just yet," Kurama replied amusedly.

"That is true," the strands wrote at a slower pace," But you know as well as I that I have been merely playing around thus far. I promise I won't try anything. I'm more interested in a different member of your group."

"Oh, you don't say," Kurama answered.

"Yes," the strands wrote," Besides, aren't you curious. You are a fox after all."

Kurama pondered this for a moment. It did sound tempting, but he had lived a thousand years for a reason. And it wasn't because he was gullible.

"Tell me one thing," Kurama said decisively," Are you Takahashi Emi?"

"I haven't been called that in years," the strands wrote after a pause," But yes I am. You must know of me. So who sent you."

"How about we discuss this while I tell you of my time as Youko," Kurama said with a smile.

The strands perked up and lifted from the floor. They motioned for him to walk forward, and a small opening, just big enough for him was created in the barrier wall. With one last glance, he looked back at the fight that was still ensuing. He discreetly dropped a glowing lamp weed on the ground before walking through the opening into the fog. The barrier quickly weaved back together. And the three boys were none the wiser.

* * *

Kurama took measured steps through the fog. A yellow rope was pulled taut besides him, and it was all he could see clearly. He walked along it and made his way further into the fog, his guard was up. His instinct told him this wasn't a trap, but he could never be too careful. The yellow glow in front of him grew brighter and brighter and finally he came upon a small densely packed dome.

"Hi!" a cheery voice said from behind him.

Kurama whipped around to see Emi standing with her hands clasped in front of her.

"Hello," Kurama replied quietly.

"You look a lot different than I thought you would," Emi said," Oh sorry, that was rude. You don't really need manners in this labyrinth."  
"It's alright," Kurama placated," I'm currently in a human body, and I must say you aren't the way I imagined either."

"You can go ahead and say it," Emi grumbled," I'm short."

"Well, I was going to say you don't act like royalty," Kurama said with a chuckle," but yes, you are quite petite. Not that it's a bad thing."

"That was a good try," Emi replied," But not going to work. So tell me about that Hiei guy in your group."

"My, my, you get straight to the point. I'm wounded," Kurama said in mock-hurt," I thought you called me here to listen to my triumphs as Youko Kurama."

"I did," Emi exclaimed.

"Oh?" Kurama said with a raised eyebrow.

"Fine, I was curious about Hiei," Emi grumbled," And it's not like you were doing anything anyways."

"Why are you so curious about him anyways?" Kurama wondered.

"As if you don't know," Emi said with a raised eyebrow," I know you know Hiei and I were acquainted in the past."

"It seems we can't get anything past your barrier," Kurama said amusedly.

"Flattery won't work," Emi deadpanned," So tell me how you know Hiei and how you met. You can add in what he looks like, and who you are working for while you're at it."

"In exchange," Kurama bargained," tell me of your relationship with Hiei."

"Only if you give me the information I want," Emi said," He might not even be the Hiei I know."

"I'm quite positive he is," Kurama replied as he recalled Hiei's strange behavior, " but we have a deal. I'll describe his looks first. That should be a good start."

Emi plopped into a sitting position on the ground. She motioned for Kurama to join her, and he did. When he was comfortably situated in front of her, he began to speak.

* * *

The boys panted in exhaustion. With one final shotgun blast the last of the demons crumpled to the ground dead. Yusuke straightened and whipped around to face Hiei. He and Kuwabara marched towards the fire demon with matching scowls on their faces.

"Why the hell would you piss off whoever's controlling this thing?" Yusuke demanded.

"Yeah, we had to fight so many demons," Kuwabara continued.

"Hn, if you're too weak to handle this trash then I have greatly overestimated you," Hiei said emotionlessly.

"That's not the point!" Yusuke snarled," We have to find the girl, and we are wasting time with all these demons. Right Kurama?"

Silence answered him. Yusuke furrowed his eyebrows and looked in the direction he had last seen Kurama. When he saw no one there he turned to look around the surrounding area.

"Where'd he go?" Yusuke mumbled.

"I don't know," Kuwabara answered," I can't sense him anywhere."

Hiei tensed up and looked around as well. They had been so focused on their fights they hadn't even noticed Kurama's disappearance.

"What if something happened to him?" Kuwabara exclaimed.

"The fox is fine," Hiei grumbled," he can handle himself."

"I know that," Kuwabara retorted," but he's the one that told us not to travel alone."

"Hey," Yusuke said pointing to his right," Isn't that one of Kurama's plants?"

"You're right," Kuwabara exclaimed.

He and Yusuke jogged over to the lamp weed. Hiei followed at a more sedate pace. Without a word Hiei walked passed the plant and through the barrier. The two boys quickly followed once Hiei had his sword out for them to touch. Once they were all through the barrier they stood in a line and faced the dense fog ahead.

"Let's go," Yusuke said with determination.

Kuwabara and Hiei followed without a word, tense and ready for anything that might jump out at them.

* * *

Emi stared at the ground with a small smile on her face. Kurama watched her silently, content to let her process everything that he told her.

"Other than the third eye and the height," Emi murmured," he does seem like the Hiei I used to know. Well, a much colder version anyways. Not that he wasn't an ass before."

"So will you tell me your relationship with him now?" Kurama questioned gently.

"Oh right," Emi replied," we did have a deal. Just tell me who sent you and I will fulfill my end of the bargain."

"The young prince Koenma," Kurama answered obligingly.

"Koenma," Emi said quietly with a fond smile," to think those two would meet. What a small world. I'm betting Hiei met Koenma by doing something stupid."

"Robbing a spirit world vault," Kurama grinned," You seem to know him well."

"Correction, I knew him well," Emi said with a sad smile," from what you have told me, he seems changed."

"I wouldn't know," Kurama said.

"On another note, you must have done something equally stupid," Emi teased," I doubt Youko Kurama would work for the prince of spirit world for fun."

"Perceptive," Kurama grinned," But that is a story for another time. You still haven't told me your relationship with Hiei."

"Guess my stall tactics didn't work," Emi said," what do you think my relationship with Hiei is?"

"I don't know," Kurama said thoughtfully," but you both had to have been close. He wouldn't react so strongly to a mere acquaintance. He even took the time to threaten you."

"Don't remind me," Emi mumbled while playing with her sleeves," he always had a lovely way with words."

"Friends perhaps?" Kurama continued as if Emi hadn't spoken," or maybe lovers."

Emi's eye twitched at being ignored, before she realized what Kurama had said. She whipped her head up to look at him only to meet his triumphant gaze.

"So I'm right," Kurama said with a large grin.

"Right about what?" Emi said nervously.

"You and Hiei were lovers," Kurama said with conviction.

"Yes, we had a relationship that went beyond friendship," Emi replied sadly," but we weren't lovers. That would imply that he loved me."

"Koenma said you fell in love with a demon and was planning to flee with him," Kurama said with a tinge of confusion.

"Correct," Emi said emotionlessly," he never said the demon loved me back."

"Then why run away with him?" Kurama furrowed his eyebrows.

"As you know, Enma was looking for any excuse to be rid of me," Emi explained," Anything was better than spirit world. And I was content to be by Hiei's side."

"Even if he didn't love you?" Kurama finished for her.

"Yes," Emi murmured with a small smile," If I had left, Koenma would be safe as well. Enma didn't approve of my contact with his son for obvious reasons."

"That seems like a sad existence," Kurama murmured.

"Maybe," Emi replied quietly," but I was happy. And now I am terrified of seeing the two people I love most again."

"It does seem nerve-wracking," Kurama murmured thoughtfully.

"You aren't very good at this whole sympathy thing," Emi grumbled.

* * *

The three boys were walking more calmly now. Their breathing had slowed to even breaths and they could sense no danger around them. Their guard was still up, but they could feel that the worst was over. With each step, they could start to make out voices in front of them. A few yards forward and they were certain that one of the voices was Kurama's.

"I apologize," Kurama said with a tilt of his lips," but I can talk to Hiei if you wish."

"Talk to me about what," Hiei said with a glare as he stepped out from the fog.

"Not cool Kurama," Yusuke said with a mock-glare as he too stepped out," leaving us to fight those demons. You should be ashamed of yourself."

"My sincerest apologies," Kurama said amusedly as he stood up and turned," seems I have been apologizing quite a bit lately."

"Hey, you found her," Kuwabara grinned.

All eyes focused on Emi who had been partially hidden by Kurama the entire time. She stood slowly, her eyes never leaving the shortest member of the group. Once she was standing, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The boys watched quietly, Hiei the most tense out of all of them. Suddenly, Emi's eyes snapped open, and before they could react, her hand was already raised, and strings of light streamed from her fingertips. They sped past Kurama and went directly towards Hiei. The fire demon jumped out of the way, but the strands followed persistently. He growled and jumped back again. Emi followed, screaming insults as she continued attacking.

Kurama stared in shock. He hadn't expected her to suddenly attack Hiei. Her personality seemed to make a 180-degree turn once Hiei showed up. With slow steps he walked towards Yusuke and Kuwabara. They both stood stunned, staring at the tiny girl who was attacking Hiei while screaming and cursing. Hiei dodged and weaved past the strands, and snarled an equal amount of insults at the girl.

"Uh, what just happened?" Yusuke mumbled.

"Beats me," Kuwabara murmured back.

"It seems they are having a lover's quarrel," Kurama said amusedly.

The two boys jumped at Kurama's sudden appearance.

"That's not funny," Kuwabara grumbled.

"I only say it as I see it," Kurama grinned.

"You're going crazy. Hiei and love don't belong in the same sentence." Yusuke said with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah," Kuwabara agreed," short, dark, and broody doesn't have the ability to love."

They all turned when they heard a loud clang. Hiei stood in front of Emi, both of his hands were holding the hilt of his sword. He was putting all his weight onto the barrier protecting Emi.

"Hey! You aren't supposed to attack a lady," Kuwabara yelled angrily.

"She attacked first remember," Yusuke retorted.

"Still, she's a girl," Kuwabara said defensively.

"She is also a fighter," Kurama said calmly," and I doubt she would appreciate you implying that she was weak."

Kuwabara scowled and turned back towards the fighting duo. He begrudgingly agreed with what Kurama said, but it didn't mean he had to like it. The two fighters in front of him had since moved further, and were now stuck at a stand still. The insults were still flying from the girl's mouth and he noticed Hiei's face morphing into an even angrier expression.

* * *

"After all these years, the first words you utter to me are threats," Emi screeched," And I thought you couldn't shove that sword any further up your ass."

Hiei clenched his fist tighter around his sword. She was just as infuriating as ever. He dodged another energy whip and charged forward.

"You lied to me," Hiei snarled as his sword met another barrier.

"Of course, I lied," Emi retorted," Did you really think I was going to tell a demon I was the wife of King Enma? I'm not suicidal."

"So, even after twenty years you just couldn't trust a demon," Hiei growled sardonically," looking down on us are you princess?"

"I didn't mean it like that and you know it," Emi exclaimed as she pushed him back.

"That's the thing," Hiei said menacingly, his sword by his side," I don't know. You could be lying, just like you did about everything else back then."

"I only every lied about Enma," Emi screamed, the barrier flickering with her emotions," Me loving you wasn't a lie."

"I don't believe you," Hiei snarled.

"Why do you care anyways," Emi yelled," It's not like you ever returned my feelings."

"Hn, I don't," Hiei said emotionlessly," I just hate liars."

Emi grit her teeth and glared at Hiei with narrowed eyes. She clenched her fists tightly and sent another barrage of strings at him. They made contact, and Emi froze, her eyes wide as she tried to catch a glimpse of Hiei to see if he was okay. Her barrier disappeared in her shock.

"After all these years, you still let your emotions control you," Hiei's voice said from behind her.

Emi realized too late that she had sent her strings through his after-image. Before she could create another barrier, she felt a sharp pain at the back of her head. Everything went black, and she crumpled into Hiei's arms unconscious.

* * *

"How could you knock her out like that?" Kuwabara screamed as he ran over.

Hiei ignored him and sheathed his sword before lifting Emi into his arms.

"Hey!" Kuwabara yelled," I'm talking to you."

"We have more important things to worry about," Hiei said with a glare.

"What?" Kuwabara demanded.

Yusuke and Kurama ran over when the barrier around them started to crumble in on itself. The yellow strings started to evaporate and they could feel the ground shaking under them.

"What's going on?" Kuwabara exclaimed.

"The barriers are coming down," Hiei said emotionlessly," the labyrinth wants to reclaim its lost passage ways."

"What does that even mean?" Yusuke yelled over the rumbling.

"It means we're in danger of being devoured by the maze," Kurama said loudly.

In front of them, a huge black mass of shadows was speeding towards them. The fog dispersed quickly, and they could see huge piles of the black tendrils swallowing up the bodies of the demons they had killed as they made their way towards them. All four of them turned and ran down the long hall, barely dodging the large tsunami of shadows.

"Shit!" Yusuke screamed," What do we do? Nothing works on them."

"Just keep running," Kurama growled tensely.

"Wait guys, my sword can cut them remember," Kuwabara exclaimed.

"You can't take on something that big alone," Hiei growled.

"Then what do you think we should do?" Kuwabara yelled," I don't see you coming up with any good ideas. This is all your fault for knocking the lady out in the first place."

"Now is not the time," Yusuke screamed angrily.

They continued running, the black tendrils following close behind. In front of them, a wall of black tendrils started to form. The four boys skidded to a halt, and stood in a circle facing outward towards their surroundings. The large avalanche of shadows was closing in on them, and the wall in front of them seemed to become denser. Kurama's eyes narrowed as he watched the black wall forming in front of him. He noticed the black shadows fading to gray and with a start he realized the stonewalls were made of black tendrils as well. Behind them, the black tendrils were only inches from grabbing Emi's dangling wrist.

"Kuwabara cut the wall nearest you," Kurama yelled.

"What? Are you crazy! I can't cut a wall!" Kuwabara screamed in a panic.

"Just do it, trust me," Kurama said loudly," We don't have much time."

"Fine," Kuwabara answered and summoned his sword.

With a yell he ran at the wall nearest him and sliced downward. He didn't expect his sword to cut through the wall so easily and fell forward onto his face. A high-pitched wail came from the wall as it turned back into a huge dense wall of black tendrils. They sizzled where Kuwabara made the cut, and for a moment they could see a light through the opening. The large avalanche paused for a moment before new shadow tentacles started to close the opening.

"No you don't!" Kuwabara yelled before leaping up and hacking away at the tendrils.

An even louder wail came from the wall but Kuwabara's cutting didn't decrease. Soon he was making progress and an opening large enough for him to pass through was created in front of him. Kurama quickly grew a vine-like plant to hold the opening open and they all started heading towards the hole. As if sensing their plan, the shadows sped up and headed towards them. Kurama quickly extracted the plant just as everyone made it through. The hole started to close on its own, and the black tendrils collided into the wall just as it closed.

* * *

Yay! Those two finally meet again! I'm hoping their meeting was as good as you guys hoped. Well, the meeting was pretty short, but Emi won't take kindly to being knocked out. That's for sure. Poor Kurama must be so confused. Maybe when I have time I will write a second story on their past. Hmm…Well, until next time. Review please!


	13. Chapter 11

An Eternity of Lies Ch. 11

* * *

Hey guys! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Please read the note at the end and don't kill me . Thanks to Roses-of-Envy,SakiHanajima1,and Sanity'sRival for the reviews! :)

* * *

"_All we have to do is kill everyone else on the boat before we reach the island. We'll say we're the right team and no one will complain," – Hiei_

* * *

The twinkling lights of Paris shone brightly in the night. The Eiffel Tower stood tall, its tip a beacon against the clear sky. Stars dotted the background behind it, and a young married couple sat together and enjoyed a fancy dinner at the restaurant they had made reservations at five months before. Up way above them, a dark portal opened in the dark inky sky. It blended perfectly with the night and the couple was none the wiser. Five objects were suddenly spat out by the portal before it snapped shut. The five objects started to plummet towards the ground.

"Why does this keep happening?" Kuwabara yelled in a panic.

"Look it's the Eiffel Tower. We must be in Paris," Kurama screamed as the wind rushed by.

"Who cares!" Yusuke roared," We're going to be pancakes on the pavement if we don't do something quick!"

"Fox, stop messing around and call the toddler," Hiei snarled.

"Yeah, what he said," Kuwabara screamed hysterically.

Kurama reached into his pocket and pulled out the communicator he had taken from Yusuke. He opened it and clicked the call button. All four of the boys straightened out their bodies until they were parallel to the ground. Their decent slowed, but not by much. They could hear the communicator ringing.

"It seems he isn't picking up," Kurama said serenely.

"What?" Yusuke screamed and snatched the communicator from Kurama's hand.

He pressed the call button and the call went unanswered once more.

"That damn toddler," Yusuke screamed.

"I don't want to die," Kuwabara yelled just as loudly.

"Please do," Hiei retorted," It would do the world a favor."

"If we weren't falling I would kick your ass!" Kuwabara screamed angrily.

The communicator gave off a beep and Yusuke answered it before the first ring completed.

"You damn toddler! Where have you been," Yusuke spat.

"Hello Yusuke," Koenma said calmly," Why is it so loud over there?"

"We're falling towards the ground at high speeds," Yusuke growled," that's what's happening!"

"Wait what?" Koenma panicked, "Where are you! Is my mom okay?"

"That's all you care about right now?" Yusuke screamed into the communicator.

"We are in Paris, near the Eiffel Tower," Kurama interrupted," The ground is approaching fast."

"Alright, let me pinpoint your location," Koenma said as he disappeared from the screen of the communicator.

"Hurry up!" Yusuke screamed.

The observation deck of the Eiffel Tower restaurant was getting closer. A few seconds before collision, a portal opened on the floor of the deck. The four boys and one unconscious spirit fell through safely, their hearts racing at high speeds. The young couple that had been enjoying their dinner stared out of the window in shock. In unison, they lowered their wine glasses and pushed them away. They met eyes and agreed silently, they had enough alcohol for the night.

* * *

"Hello boys," Botan greeted as the boys were spat out from the portal.

Two groans answered her from beneath the dog pile that consisted of Yusuke and Kuwabara. Kurama sat on top of the pile, his legs crossed and a smile on his face. Besides the human heap was Hiei, standing serenely with Emi's soul in his arms.

"Hello Botan," Kurama smiled," How have you been on this lovely evening?"

"Oh, what a gentleman," Botan said with a giggle, "I've been just…"

"Who cares!" Yusuke shouted," Get off Kurama!"

Kurama let out a chuckle and leap gracefully off Yusuke's back. Hiei walked forward, ignoring the noise around him.

"What's his problem?" Yusuke muttered, dusting off his jacket.

"Who cares," Kuwabara answered," Shorty always has something shoved up his ass."

"Why don't we start moving and go find out?" Kurama said curiously before following.

The three followed after Hiei, leaving Botan to stare at the spot they were once occupying. With a huff, she turned and followed them. She was slightly miffed that she had been overlooked so easily.

* * *

"That damn toddler," Yusuke muttered angrily," making us walk all these stairs."

"I thought as a demon your stamina would have improved," Botan giggled as she floated up the stairs on her oar.

"Get off that oar and let's see you walk these stairs," Yusuke shouted in her face.

"Let's calm down alright?" Kurama placated," Yelling will only waste your energy."

"You got lucky," Yusuke muttered to the giggling grim reaper.

A few minutes later they could see Genkai and a teenage Koenma waiting for them at the top of the stairs. Kuwabara immediately sped up and ran past them into the temple, yelling Yukina's name as he went. The sound of slamming sliding doors could be heard. The other three boys watched with varying expressions; two in exasperation and one in cold fury. Koenma's eye twitched in annoyance at being so utterly overlooked. Genkai just rolled her eyes and continued smoking her pipe.

"About time you got here, nitwit." Genkai said.

"Nice to see you too," Yusuke grumbled," You old hag."

Koenma stood to the side staring at the spirit Hiei was carrying.

"Let's get inside and give my mother back her soul," Koenma whispered," Then we can talk."

"Yeah, yeah," Yusuke said uncaringly.

Hiei walked forward and motioned for Koenma to lead the way. They all followed Koenma into the temple, and into a room. On a futon lay the unchanged body of Takahashi Emi. Koenma motioned Hiei forward. With measured steps, Hiei approached the sleeping form and knelt besides it. Kurama watched as Hiei tenderly placed the soul over the body, and they watched with held breaths as it sank in and melded with its counterpart. There was a soft glow, and when it dissipated, they could see the slight rise and fall of Emi's chest. They let out a collective sigh of relief and headed to the living room to talk.

* * *

Koenma, Genkai, and the four boys sat around the table in the living room. Hiei sat in the windowsill nearby, his eyes trained outside.

"You don't know how much I appreciate your efforts," Koenma said quietly.

"It wasn't any trouble," Kurama answered.

"No trouble?" Kuwabara exclaimed," We almost got swallowed up by those shadow tentacle things!"

"It was to go against King Enma's wishes," Hiei said from the windowsill," So it was worth it."

"Are you sure it was only worth it for that?" Kurama asked slyly.

Hiei ignored him and continued to stare out the window. Kurama chuckled, and Yusuke looked between them in confusion.

"I think I'm missing something here," Yusuke grumbled.

Kuwabara nodded in agreement. Koenma let out a small cough to once more gain everyone's attention. He picked up his green tea and took a sip.

He was interrupted when Hiei stood from the windowsill quietly. They watched as one as he walked calmly to the door and slid it open in one swift movement. The occupants of the room leaned forward to get a good view of what was on the other side of the door. On the floor sat Emi, embarrassed that she has gotten caught eavesdropping. Hiei rolled his eyes and walked back to the windowsill. Emi stuck her tongue out at him, and smiled sheepishly. Her eyes traveled across the room and finally fell on Koenma, Her eyes softened tenderly and a small smile made its way onto her face. Koenma stared back, and with a pop, he regressed back to his toddler form.

"Mom!" Koenma exclaimed as he jumped into her lap and proceeded to cry his eyes out.

"Hey, buddy," Emi said quietly and rubbed his head.

The occupants watched the reunion quietly. The silence was short lived though.

"Wait, is that really the same crazy chick that attacked Hiei?" Yusuke exclaimed pointing at Emi," She have multiple personalities or something?"

Mother and son looked up at him. Koenma looked up in anger and Emi blushed and let out an embarrassed chuckle.

"Smooth, Urameshi." Kuwabara muttered," Real smooth."

Koenma turned his head away snootily and stood up. He helped Emi up and led her to the table. She sat next to him and angled her body so that her back was completely facing Hiei's form. Hiei seemed to give no reaction, but Kurama could see the slight tick in his eye at Emi's immature behavior. Kurama held in a laugh. Hiei's eyes whipped over to him and gave him an intense glare. Kurama smiled back innocently.

"There a bromance going on over there or something?" Emi said using her thumb to point over her shoulder at Hiei.

Yusuke and Kuwabara burst out in laughter. Koenma looked at his mom scandalized, and Genkai smiled into her teacup. Kurama stared at Emi incredulously, and Hiei let out an angry growl.

"I can assure you there is no such relationship between us," Kurama said with a cough.

Emi shrugged before smiled serenely and picked up the teacup in front of her. She closed her eyes and took a nice long sip. The table's occupants stared at her, and looked over her shoulder at the fire demon.

"What?" Emi asked.

"That's not yours," Kuwabara mumbled.

Emi furrowed her eyebrows and looked at him in confusion.

"What he means to say is we weren't expecting you to wake up and only had tea made for ourselves," Kurama explained.

"Oh, so this is the asshole's?" Emi surmised jerking her head at Hiei," It's fine, Mr. Broody over there feeds on blood and corpses or something as sinister. He won't miss a cup of green tea."

Yusuke burst out laughing and Kurama let out a chuckle. Kuwabara laughed hesitantly, his eyes looking wearily at the growling fire demon behind Emi.

Hiei stood from the windowsill and stomped menacingly towards Emi. He was pulling Emi up by her elbow and dragging her out of the temple and into the surrounding forest. Koenma watched helplessly, his frozen arm outstretched towards the space Emi had been sitting in. The teacup rolled forgotten on the floor.

"Uh, guys?" Kuwabara asked slowly," Shouldn't we help her?"

Yusuke continued laughing and holding his stomach. Kuwabara watched him emotionlessly.

"It wasn't that funny," Kuwabara deadpanned.

"Damn, that girl has balls," Yusuke said in between laughs.

"Yusuke!" Koenma screamed, snapping out of his stupor.

"Nothing like a woman scorned," Kurama said calmly," But I believe it will be fine. She can hold her own and they need to talk."

"What? Why?" Koenma exclaimed.

"Yeah, why?" Yusuke said.

Everyone turned and looked at Kurama expectantly. He met eyes with them hesitantly. Maybe he should have kept his mouth shut.

* * *

"Let go," Emi demanded.

Hiei ignored her and continued dragging her through the forest. His grip on her wrist was tight, and he ignored her attempts at tugging her wrist from his grip. He continued to ignore her as her anger grew and so did her shouting. Hiei rolled his eyes and stopped suddenly. Emi barely prevented herself from crashing into his back. He turned around and let go of her wrist. Before she could continue her screaming, he scooped her up and jumped into the trees until he was on one of the highest branches. He placed her on her feet, none too gently, and watched in amusement as she let out a gasp and hugged the tree's trunk.

"Now we can talk," Hiei said in barely hidden amusement.

"Get me down from here. There is nothing to talk about!" Emi seethed.

"Hn, you seemed to have a lot to say in the maze," Hiei snarked.

"I have nothing to say to someone who won't believe anything that comes from my mouth," Emi snarled.

Hiei watched her emotionlessly. He sighed and shut his eyes. Emi glared at him. A breeze blew through his hair, and he could hear Emi shifting as she gripped the tree trunk tighter when the wind made contact with her. The silence was making her awfully uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry for lying Hiei," Emi said quietly," but you have to understand why I did it, somewhat. I broke my promise to you that night when I never showed up. I know that. But, I spent the last few decades thinking you were dead, wondering whether or not letting the demons destroy me would have been better."

"Suicide is a coward's escape," Hiei muttered.

"You would say that. And that's why I kept going, and created those barriers," Emi murmured," because your voice kept echoing in my head. Saying those exact words."

Hiei continued to stand impassively, his face turned towards the setting sun.

"And now I'm alive, and so are you. I don't want us to spend it hating each other. Everything is out in the open now. No more lies. We can start over," Emi persisted.

Hiei opened his eyes and met her pair of violet orbs. Others would have seen a completely emotionless expression, but Emi could see the hurt and betrayal lurking behind his eyes. He looked away and stared into the sun before leaping from the tree branch. He started walking away, once his feet landed softly on the ground. Emi looked down at his retreating form with a small smile. He hadn't said no, which meant there was still some hope of salvaging their relationship.

She slowly dislodged herself from the tree trunk and unsteadily jumped from the branch. She created a barrier around herself and landed on the forest floor unharmed, a crater forming where she had landed. With slow steps she walked forward a few feet before pausing. She looked around hesitantly, and smacked herself in the forehead. She hadn't paid attention when Hiei had dragged her out here, and now she was lost. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides.

That damn fire demon might have got the last laugh, but she would get him back she thought with a sadistic grin. It slowly slid from her face as she pursed her lips. First, she had to get out of the forest. She started walking in a random direction, not noticing Hiei perched in a tree nearby watching over her as she slowly found her way back to the temple.

* * *

"No! I don't want to hear it!" Koenma wailed.

"Hiei is loyal," Kurama placated," not to mention he has a code of honor."

"I don't care!" Koenma cried out," Him and my mom. No! I don't want to even think about it. He's not good enough for her! No one is!"

"Dang! He's really got a mother complex," Kuwabara whispered to Yusuke.

"Yeah, tell me about it," Yusuke muttered rhetorically," explains why he sent us into that maze."

"All of you shut up," Genkai rasped in annoyance.

The other four boys stopped what they were doing and turned to face her.

"There are more important things you should be discussing," Genkai continued once it was quiet," especially, now that the girl isn't in the room."

"What are you talking about grandma," Yusuke grumbled.

"Why don't you be patient and listen," Genkai retorted nastily.

"Okay, geez, keep your underwear on," Yusuke muttered.

Genkai reached over and smacked Yusuke in the head. The hit was hard enough to send his forehead into the wooden table he was sitting at.

"What was that for?" Yusuke screamed.

"For being a nuisance," Genkai answered calmly," now shut up and listen."

Genkai motioned towards Koenma. Yusuke gave Genkai a scowl before turning to face the direction she had indicated. Koenma sat solemnly in front of him.

"So?" Yusuke demanded.

"Right," Koenma said," As you know, my father and I aren't on very good terms right now. And retrieving my mother's body didn't help. I accidentally set off the wards when I took her body and the SDF was sent immediately."

"Hah, those wimps?" Yusuke said boisterously," I could take them on with my eyes closed."

"Can I continue?" Koenma said exasperatedly.

"Oh, yeah," Yusuke replied sheepishly.

"Anyways," Koenma continued quietly," I was able to escape them unscathed, but at the cost of the lives of many of my former employees. George and the other ogres battled the SDF as a distraction so I could escape. The SDF caught up pretty quick."

"So what your saying is, the SDF was able to beat all those ogres?" Kuwabara murmured.

"Yes, there is a high chance that George and the others didn't make it," Koenma surmised.

Everyone looked down solemnly and took a moment of silence for their fallen comrades. The sound of a cup being placed onto the table brought everyone's attention back to the prince. Koenma looked each boy in the eyes. His eyes burned with a determination they had never seen before.

"I've always thought of overthrowing my father," Koenma said with conviction," and now I realize I need to make it a reality. It isn't just about my mother or me anymore. It's about the future of the three worlds as we know it. I've already asked enough of you, but I need all the allies I can get. If you don't help me I'll make due, but could you at least consider it?"

"That's not even a question," Yusuke said with a grin," I'd choose kicking Enma's ass over cooking ramen any day. Besides, I'm sure Enki's been looking for a reason to force Enma to take down the barrier."

"Yeah, your dad needs to be put in his place," Kuwabara agreed," and I won't have him ruling any world that my sweet Yukina is in."

"What a moron," Hiei murmured as he stepped into the room.

"Glad you could join us Hiei," Kurama said," I suspect you already heard everything?"

"Hn, naturally," Hiei said monotonously.

"Then what have you decided?" Kurama asked," I for one am all for taking the throne away from Enma. And I'm sure I can get in contact with Yomi."

"You know my answer," Hiei grumbled," and I'm sure Mukuro would take up any chance to fight."

"Me too!" Emi's voice chimed in from the doorway," I have a lot of thinks I need to say to that bastard."

"Hn, you made it out faster than I thought," Hiei smirked.

Emi put her fists on her hips and glared at the fire demon.

"No thanks to you," she said angrily.

Hiei's smirk widened and Emi huffed and crossed her arms. Koenma watched their interaction from the sidelines, and suddenly he remembered Kurama's words.

"No, this isn't happening, I won't allow it" Koenma interrupted slamming his hands on the table.

The room's occupants turned as one to stare at him in confusion. Emi's eyebrows furrowed in anger before she let what he said process.

"You can't stop me from fighting Koenma," Emi murmured menacingly.

"That's not it!" Koenma exclaimed hysterically," I know I can't stop you from fighting."

"Then what is it?" Emi asked in confusion.

Koenma's entire face turned red. He sucked in a breath and held it, his wide-eyed stare darting between Emi and Hiei. Emi waited patiently and watched in concern as his eyes started to water.

"Kurama said you and Hiei had a thing." Koenma wailed childishly as he burst into tears.

Emi froze in place and stared at Koenma in shock. What just happened? She turned her face to her right and looked towards Hiei. His murderous gaze was trained in front of him, and when Emi followed it she saw Kurama. The fox was slowly backing away from the advancing fire demon. His arms were held in front of him at chest level and he had a sheepish look on his face. Kuwabara and Yusuke were laughing uproarishly at the situation. Even going so far as to slam their fists on the table and roll on the ground clutching their stomachs. Emi went over to subdue the crying Spirit Prince when Yukina walked in holding a teapot on a tray. She paused at the doorway and stared into the room perplexed. And throughout all the chaos Genkai sat serenely at her spot at the table, sipping her tea.

* * *

"It's nice to see you again Botan," Emi said with a smile.

Botan stepped back from the closet she had been sifting through.

"You recognize me?" Botan asked softly.

"Of course, you haven't changed a bit," Emi answered," Well except you're taller and physically older than me now. It's a little strange, I'll admit. But you're still as beautiful as ever."

"Thank you for those kind words Ms. Takahashi," Botan murmured with a blush.

"Oh, it's Ms. Takahashi now?" Emi said surprised.

"Well, we are adults now, and truthfully it was quite rude of me to call someone of such high rank my mother. Being of such lower ranking in the palace," Botan rambled.

"You know as well as I do that I never cared for rankings and social status," Emi said offhandedly," Besides, you should make calling me your mother, a habit. Because I'm planning to see you and Koenma married eventually."

Botan gaped at Emi as she tried to splutter out a response. Emi gave the grim reaper a wink before taking a seat on the windowsill.

"So, have you found anything suitable for me to wear?" Emi asked jokingly," I'm going into this world blind, so I might as well look fashionable doing it."

"Oh, right," Botan said startled before turning back and sifting through the closet," A bunch of our friends stay over all the time and they've left a variety of clothes. I'm sure they won't mind if you borrow some."

"Well I should hope so," Emi answered," But if I ever meet them, remind me to thank them."

"I'll make sure to do that," Botan said as she approached with a pile of clothes," now try these on please."

* * *

"Is this really supposed to be this short?" Emi asked self-consciously as she tugged at the skirt she was wearing.

"It's actually supposed to be much shorter," Botan commented offhandedly.

"Really?" Emi exclaimed, "I don't remember humans showing so much skin before."

"Well it has been a few centuries," Botan replied," Besides, this is considered modest."

"I don't want to imagine what's indecent," Emi said staring wide-eyed at the knee length skirt.

"I'll take you to the beach one day," Botan said with a grin," You'll be in for a surprise."

"The beach?" Emi asked.

"You know, where the ocean meets the sand, and you can see a beautiful horizon where the sky meets the water." Botan explained enthusiastically.

"I've heard of it, but I can't say I have ever gone," Emi mumbled.

"Then we have to go," Botan cried," And soon. You'll get to experience everything a teenager should. But first, let's show the boys your new look."

Botan looked down at the shorter girl and was met with a wide grin. It was nice to see her acting like the child she was for once. She looked back in front of her and her expression grew solemn. With everything going on she doubted a trip to the beach would be happening anytime in the near future.

* * *

I know this chapter is shorter than the last, but I almost didn't have time to even write it. I'm getting behind on my schoolwork/studying for midterms TOT And the website I'm making isn't cooperating :/ Just fair warning I most likely won't be updating on Wednesday. I'm really sorry. Don't kill me, but my schoolwork takes priority. Until then….

Please review!


	14. Chapter 12

An Eternity of Lies Ch. 12

* * *

Thanks to Roses-of-Envy, Nightbloodwolf, Jasmine of the Night, and Killer karebear for the reviews. :D I'm so glad you guys enjoy this fic so much. :) And Karebear congrats! I'm so glad and honored that you still found the time to review. A new baby! Sounds so exciting! :D *squeee* :3

* * *

"_You do them one favor and they think you're their best friend." – Hiei_

* * *

Koenma stood in front of the doorway to the meeting room. His arms spread wide as if hiding whatever was behind him. He was still in his toddler form, and his tensed body and serious expression made the situation even more comical. Behind him Emi stood amused. Botan stood next to her with her hand covering her face in embarrassment.

"No one is getting past this doorway," Koenma spat angrily.

"Your not very scary," Yusuke taunted," especially when you don't even reach our knees."

"What's the big idea anyways," Kuwabara muttered," It's just a skirt."

"It's indecent," Koenma screamed incredulously," and you're all a bunch of perverts."

"I take offense to that," Kurama said in mock hurt.

"I'm not worried about you," Koenma growled before pointing at Hiei," it's him!"

Hiei sat at the windowsill, one leg stretched out and the other bent to support his arm. He scoffed and his eyes shifted over to look at the prince before he met eyes with Emi. He rolled his eyes and turned his head and looked out the window. Koenma fumed at the clear dismissal. Any retort Koenma wanted to shout was interrupted by someone clearing their throat behind him. He turned just in time to be lifted up by two hands under his armpits. His feet left the floor and he was resigned to dangle in the air. Emi held him at eye level and gave him a calm stare.

"I'm indecent am I?" Emi said calmly.

Koenma cowered at her fierce glare. Botan stood a little to the side and tried to muffle a giggle behind her hand. The four boys in the room turned their head and watched in interest.

"No, of course not," Koenma stuttered," Why would you say that?"

"I clearly remember you saying I was indecent a moment ago," Emi said.

"What! No!" Koenma exclaimed," I meant the skirt."

"So you're saying what I wear is indecent," Emi stated.

"Um, well, kind of?" Koenma said hesitantly.

"Did you hear that Botan?" Emi said," He said the clothes you chose are indecent."

"What?" Botan said in mock anger," How dare he."

"No, that's not what I meant," Koenma wailed.

"Then what did you mean?" Botan snarled.

"It's nice!" Koenma squeaked in fear.  
"That's what I thought," Botan said with a huff.

"Now that that's been established I'll be entering the room," Emi said serenely.

With one quick movement she twisted her upper body and dropped Koenma onto his feet behind her. She entered the room and headed towards the window. Hiei watched her out of the corner of his eye. Emi reached out and pulled his leg to hang off the windowsill and took a seat in the now cleared space. Hiei turned his head and growled at her. She merely gave him a wide grin and turned to face the room's occupants. Hiei's eyes drifted to the hem of her skirt and slowly traveled down her legs. He looked back up and was met with Emi's amused side-glance. He snorted and turned away, ignoring her.

* * *

"You know, I've been introduced to everyone but you two," Emi said while looking pointedly at Yusuke and Kuwabara.

"I'm Yusuke and he's idiot," Yusuke grinned and jerked his thumb at Kuwabara.

"Hey! That's not my name," Kuwabara snarled," You can call me the great Kuwabara."

Emi smiled at both of them. Yukina entered the room to inform everyone that dinner was ready. Emi looked at her and let out a small gasp. She leapt from the windowsill and went to stand in front of Yukina. She stood an inch or two shorter than the ice apparition and stared her straight into the eyes.

"Um, hello," Yukina said sweetly.

"Hi, I'm Emi," she said with a grin," Did anyone ever tell you how pretty your eyes are?"

"Not really, but thank you," Yukina replied uncertainly.

"I'll tell you everyday from now on," Kuwabara shouted from behind Emi.

"They remind me of someone else's eyes," Emi said as if Kuwabara hadn't spoken.

"Really?" Yukina asked in surprise," Was it a male?"

"Oh, how did you know?" Emi replied.

The people behind her looked on in interest. Yusuke held Kuwabara in a headlock. His hand was placed over Kuwabara's mouth to muffle any of his screams. Kurama watched intrigued and noticed Hiei's eyebrow twitching in irritation.

"I've been looking for my brother you see," Yukina said quietly.

"Brother?" Emi prodded.

"Yes, my twin, we were separated right after our births and I've been looking for him since I learned about him," Yukina said enthusiastically," Do you know who he is? Could you tell me what he's like?"

"I might know, but I'm not sure," Emi said," I met him a long time ago."

"Oh," Yukina said sadly.

"But he was very strong even back then," Emi comforted her," I'm positive he's still out there. In fact, I remember he said something about a sister. I bet he's looking for you too. I'm sure you two will be reunited soon."

"I really hope so," Yukina said.

"I'm almost positive you will," Emi said with her hand on Yukina's shoulder.

They stood there silently for a bit. Before the smell of something burning drifted into the room. Yukina let out a gasp and ran back into the kitchen. As the same moment Kuwabara licked Yusuke's hand and was able to get free when Yusuke jumped away from him in disgust.

"Ew, what the hell was that for?" Yusuke screamed.

Emi jumped, startled by the noise and turned around. She could see the looks of amusement on the majority of their faces. Hiei looked murderous and she grinned.

"She's so sweet compared to the boy I met," Emi commented offhandedly," I can't believe they are related."

"How are you sure the person you're thinking about is the right person?" Kurama asked in amusement.

"Oh, I know," Emi giggled and met eyes with the fuming fire demon," They're eyes give it away."

"Yes, eyes are the windows to one's soul," Kurama grinned.

"Exactly," Emi replied cheekily," So, dinner anyone?"

Emi turned and made her way into the kitchen. Kuwabara dashed past her to help Yukina with any last minute preparations. The room started to empty out until only Kurama and Hiei were left.

"I assume she knows," Kurama stated with a pointed look at Hiei.

"Unfortunately," Hiei snarled getting up from his seat," I should have killed her when I had the chance."

"I'm starting to like her quite a bit," Kurama commented amusedly as he made his way towards the kitchen," It's nice to see her rile you up."

Hiei was left alone in the room. He grumbled a few curses under his breath and flitted out of the room. The curtains fluttered and drifted back to stillness, the only indication that Hiei had been in the room.

* * *

It had been two weeks since Emi's revival. In those two weeks she had met Keiko, who had come to the temple to beat Yusuke when he hadn't informed her of his departure. She and Emi had become fast friends after that.

It was now morning, Genkai sat on her porch sipping a cup of green tea. The sun was rising sluggishly in front of her. The cup paused as it made its way to her mouth, but quickly continued its journey. If one hadn't been paying attention, they wouldn't have even noticed the pause. She closed her eyes and took a sip. A soft sigh escaped her lips.

"And I was hoping for a few more days of quiet," Genkai muttered as she opened her eyes.

In front of her stood several of the former participants of the Dark Tournament. Rinku snickered down at Genkai from his seat on Chu's shoulder. Chu grinned before throwing back his head and chugging from an enormous bottle of alcohol. Touya smirked and Jin scratched his cheek sheepishly from his cross-legged position in the air. Suzuki stood with his head turned to the side. Shishiwakamaru perched on his head in his miniature form.

"Aw, come on," Chu drawled," I'm betting you missed us."

Genkai let out a disbelieving snort.

"We heard Yusuke's got himself in a bind," Jin said rapidly," so we came to help. Wanted to see him too. Been a while it has. Can't wait to see how strong he's grown."

"It's nice to see you again Master Genkai," Touya interrupted calmly.

"Hmph, why did I get dragged along?" Shishiwakamaru muttered.

"You wanted to come," teased Suzuki as he knocked the imp from his shoulder.

Shishiwakamaru waved his arms frantically to stay afloat. Once he was balanced he gave Suzuki a swift kick to the face.

"Where are they anyway?" Rinku whined," The trip here was so boring. I want to spar with Kuwabara or something."

"The sun just rose," Genkai rasped," If you wanted to see the moron you should have waited a few more hours. He's still sleeping like the dead."

Silence answered her at first. But soon chuckles answered her. She looked up with a raised brow.

"He's sleeping, ey?" Jin said as his ears twitched," Who says we wake him up?"

"I second the motion," Chu answered with an evil grin.

"Then get moving and let's do it," Rinku exclaimed.

"I don't care what you do," Genkai muttered," but expect punishment if you break anything."

The demons gave her mumbled consents as they walked into the temple, already planning how to go about Yusuke's rude awakening. Rinku pulled out a marker from his bag. His grin was wide and it spelled doom for his unsuspecting victim. For a few minutes all Genkai could hear was the chirping of the birds. Suddenly, an ear splitting shriek pierced the air. It was immediately followed by hysterical laughter and enraged shouting. A stampede of running footsteps passed by behind her. A few crashes were heard. Genkai calmly took another sip of her green tea and started creating a training plan for anyone stupid enough to break anything.

* * *

Koenma and Hiei sat next to each other on the far side of the room. They ignored everything around them. Preferring to keep their intense glares trained on the events going on several feet across from them. A momentary truce had been established between them, and they sat tensed and fuming in unspoken agreement.

The rest of the boys sat against the wall of the room in a huddle. Staring at the same scene grumbling moodily. Only Kurama seemed amused as he sat serenely and also trained his eyes towards the open sliding doors and the porch on the other side of them.

"Aren't you just the cutest," Keiko grinned.

"Oh, he's so adorable," Botan cooed.

Emi nodded and continued patting Rinku's head. Yukina sat besides Emi mending any tears she found on Rinku's hat. Rinku reveled in the attention from his place on the ground. His head was situated in Emi's lap and he looked up at her, his eyes widening innocently. Botan let out a small squeal at the cute sight, and Emi smiled kindly down at the demon. The rest of the morning's arrivals stared jealously as Rinku basked in all the female attention.

"That little twerp," Kuwabara grumbled," he wasn't all that innocent when he had me suspended two hundred feet in the air. Botan and Keiko were there to see it too."

"Why is it that he gets all the girls," Chu slurred," They should be looking at the hunks back here."

"Why aren't you doing anything Yusuke," Jin mumbled sullenly," That's your girlfriend over there, isn't it."

"I ain't the only one with a girlfriend over there," Yusuke grumbled back," And you don't see them doing anything about it."

The boys looked at him curiously. Yusuke just shrugged and jerked his head towards the darkest corner of the room. As one, their heads turned and they peeked over their shoulders. They could see the prince of the spirit world glaring daggers into the back of Rinku's head. To his right two blood red eyes were trained on the same exact place, and Hiei's third eye could be seen glowing underneath his headband. Hiei's glare briefly went to the huddle of boys staring at him. The boys quickly whipped their heads back around and shuddered at the intense hate in those eyes. Kurama let out a silent chuckle behind his hand.

"I'm going to beat that kid up," Kuwabara grumbled," I swear, if looks could kill."

"Get in line pal," Yusuke muttered ominously.

"We have to get him away from those gals," Chu said incoherently.

"And how would we do that genius," Yusuke mumbled.

They all sat pensively before Kuwabara's face lit up. With an evil grin he shoved Yusuke forward. Not expecting the push, Yusuke landed on his face.

"What was that for!" Yusuke whipped around and hissed quietly.

"Only you can survive Keiko's slaps," Kuwabara explained sagely.

"Are you out of your mind!" Yusuke whispered.

"You're doing it for all the men in this room," Chu hissed dramatically.

The boys huddled closer into the space Yusuke once occupied. They turned their backs to him and gave him a unified glare over their shoulders. Yusuke's eye twitched and he clenched his fists.

"Fine, but all of you owe me," Yusuke growled as he marched bravely towards the cooing girls.

The rest of the boys shuffled around to get the best vantage point. Yusuke continued stomping over to the girls who remained oblivious to the events going on behind them.

"Hey, we going to actually work on saving the world, or are you guys going to act like a bunch of squealing banshees," Yusuke said as he towered over the four girls.

Botan and Keiko turned to Yusuke with their eyes closed and huge ominous grins plastered on their faces. Emi looked back at him emotionlessly. Yukina and Yusuke watched the three girls apprehensively.

"Yusuke, you jerk!" Keiko screamed.

A loud slap was heard. As if it was a signal, Botan summoned her oar and slammed it down on Yusuke's stomach once he fell. Yellow strings of energy flew from Emi's fingertips and wrapped around Yusuke until he resembled a large worm. He let out a yell of outrage that was quickly silenced by another string wrapping around his mouth. The girls then proceeded to ignore his thrashing. Preferring to turn back around and continue their cooing. Yukina stared at the wiggling yellow mess uneasily. The boys in the room bowed their head, as if commending Yusuke for his sacrifice. Kurama watched the proceeding in shocked amusement. He didn't think the girls would go that far.

Scuffling was heard from the corner of the room. Everyone's attention turned to Hiei as he walked quietly across the room. He stepped over the now still form of Yusuke and continued until he was directly behind Emi. The boys all held their breaths and watched. The girls' chattering slowly stopped. Emi was the first to turn her head and look up at Hiei. He glared down at her with his arms crossed. She gently lifted Rinku's head from her lap and rested it on the floor before she stood up to face Hiei challengingly. They stood staring into each other's eyes for several moments. No one dared move as they observed the tense pair. Hiei looked away first and trained his eyes on Rinku.

"He was trying to look up your skirt," Hiei said emotionlessly.

Emi froze before reaching and pulling the hem of her skirt tightly around her legs. She whipped around and looked at Rinku in shock. He sat up slowly and gave an uneasy giggle. Botan and Keiko backed up from him in shock. Botan grabbed Yukina and placed Rinku's hat on the ground. For a moment they all stared at each other.

"You pervert," Botan screamed.

A multitude of birds flew out of the trees in the surrounding forest. A few minutes later Emi was sitting sullenly on the windowsill with Koenma sitting smugly on her lap. Keiko and Botan sat with her and they all glared down at the squirming bundle of yellow tendrils. Rinku's eyes stared pleadingly up at them, the only part of him visible. They all turned their heads away as one. Rinku turned his eyes towards the boys who merely snickered and stuck their tongues out at him. Serves him right they thought. Hiei rolled his eyes from his place in the corner.

"Shall we discuss why we are here then?" Kurama said serenely.

Everyone's expressions turned serious and all eyes turned towards him. He started to speak of the current state of affairs and Rinku was resigned to listen from his uncomfortable position on the ground.

* * *

Emi wiggled into the sweatpants Keiko was nice enough to lend her. They were a little big, and hung low on her hips. The main problem though, was that they were too long. She tried to roll up the pant legs, but they didn't want to stay up. With a huff she rolled up the waistband instead. After her struggling, she was able to shorten the pants enough so that she only stepped on them occasionally.

With a resigned sigh she headed towards the window and opened it. She stepped carefully onto the windowsill and used her energy to lift herself onto the roof. She landed gently on the shingles and grinned up at the moon. She started walking towards the highest point of the roof, but her sweatpants snagged on a shingle. With a silent squeak, she fell forward. She felt a tug on the back of her shirt and found her nose inches from the roof. With another harsh yank she was brought back to her feet. She grabbed onto whatever was closest as she steadied herself. And found herself holding onto Hiei's arm. She smiled up at him and received an eye roll in return. Emi's smile dropped and she let go of his arm, and made it safely to her chosen spot on the roof. She plopped down and pat the place next to her. Hiei watched her for a few moments before joining her. For several moments, they stared quietly at the night sky.

"I missed this," Emi said wistfully," It's been so long since I've seen the sky, the moon, and the stars. I never thought I would miss fresh air so much."

"You're too damn sentimental," Hiei drawled.

"Yeah, probably, but that's why we work. I have the larger emotional range to make up for your lack of one," Emi teased.

"Emotions," Hiei started.

"Are for the weak," Emi interrupted with an eye roll," Yeah, yeah."

They once more sat in a comfortable silence. Hiei lied back and placed his arms behind his head before closing his eyes. Emi looked over at the movement and did the same. Using his arm as a pillow. Hiei opened his eyes but made no other movement as she got settled.

"I noticed you have a different katana now," Emi said hesitantly," and a third eye."

"Hn, the sword was broken in the Dark Tournament," Hiei replied," but my opponent got what he deserved."

"So he's dead," Emi stated, "And the eye?"

"Hn, don't ask meaningless questions. I'm sure the fox has already told you," Hiei muttered.

"Yeah," Emi said," It was so you could find your sister and your tear gem."

Hiei looked over at her. She met his eyes before looking away with a sigh.

"I guess some part of me was hoping you got it to look for me as well," Emi murmured.

The back of Emi's head hit the shingles as Hiei pulled his arm away and stood up. She rubbed her head and sat up. Her eyes trained on Hiei's back.

"When you didn't come back, you broke your promise," Hiei said emotionlessly," For years, you were dead to me."

"I'm sorry," Emi said with her head bowed.

"Hn, I will forgive you for your lies," Hiei drawled," But I want my revenge."

"I don't understand," Emi said confused.

"I want revenge on Enma," Hiei continued," He will pay. Until then, nothing else matters."

"Then, once this is over," Emi said hesitantly," We can try again. A clean slate."

"We will see," Hiei grumbled.

Emi got up and wrapped her arms around Hiei's waist. Her head rested on his back. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I missed you," Emi whispered into his cloak," And this time, I'll keep my promise. To never leave your side again."

Hiei stood tensed, but made no move to dislodge her. His head was bowed, eyes trained on her arms wrapped around his middle. Slowly, as if he were afraid they were an illusion, he lifted his hand and placed it on her arms. He had almost forgotten the feeling of being so close to another. His shoulders relaxed and he looked up at the full moon overhead.

"I love you," Emi murmured.

"I know," Hiei muttered back.

Emi smiled sadly into his back. He had never said it back, and sometimes she still wondered if he ever would. If he even had the emotional capacity to say it. She mentally shook her head. Hiei loved his sister, she knew that. And if things had went right the first time, he probably would have. Hiei's other hand joined the first on her arms. Yes, he may not have said it. But Hiei was a man of action anyways. And as they stood there, Emi felt content. She was back where she was supposed to be.

Koenma stood with his back against the chimney. His head was against the brick and he looked around the corner to the backs of the embracing couple on the roof. So everything Kurama had said was true. While he disapproved of Hiei, he grudgingly admitted that Hiei would be the one most likely to keep her safe. He shook his head, looked back up at the couple, and covered his mouth just in time to muffle a gasp. He pulled his head back and plastered his back against the chimney. His heart was racing a mile per minute, and he shuddered. Once he calmed down some, he looked back around. The roof was empty. His legs shook and he slid down onto his butt. He should have known that Hiei would sense his presence. Cold shivers wracked his body as he remembered Hiei's turned head and intense glare. Hopefully, Hiei wouldn't tell Emi about his spying.

* * *

"You didn't have to scare him that badly. He almost peed on himself," Emi said with badly hidden amusement.

"He deserved it," Hiei muttered back.

Emi rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the fight in front of her. Yukina and Botan were a little to the side of them, tending to Kuwabara and Rinku's injuries. Everyone was sitting on the porch, except for Yusuke and Jin who were sparring. Koenma sat next to Botan and tried to sneak discreet glances at his mother and Hiei. He squeaked and ducked his head when he made eye contact with Hiei and missed Emi swat him in the arm.

"Be nice," Emi giggled.

Hiei grunted but couldn't hide the smirk making its way onto his face. Both of them didn't notice Kurama shooting them discreet looks from the other side.

A huge explosion rocked the temple foundation, and everyone covered their faces. As the dust settled they got up to survey the damage. There was a giant crater in the ground and the unconscious bodies of Yusuke and Jin were in the middle.

"Dang, double knock out," Kuwabara exclaimed.

Chu and Kurama jumped into the crater and proceeded to drag the two unconscious fighters out. Yukina and Botan cleared a space for both of them, and everyone returned to their previous spots.

"So who wants to fight next?" Touya said.

"How about Ms. Takahashi," Kurama suggested.

"What? No!" Koenma yelled.

Everyone rolled their eyes and ignored his outburst.

"Alright, I don't mind," Emi said as she stood up," Who's my opponent."

Hiei stood up with a grunt.

"Now Hiei, you got your chance," Kurama said," I want to see how her skills work."

"What powers does she have?" Touya asked curiously.

"The Kekkai Barrier was her doing," Kurama answered with a strange grin.

"What? Are you serious?" Suzuki exclaimed," Now I want a go."

"I want to test my powers against it as well," Shishiwakamaru stated calmly.

"Now we all can't fight her," Kurama said placating.

"Why not?" Chu shouted drunkenly," I say we have an all out brawl."

"You would, you drunkard," Rinku shouted from the sidelines.

"This is really flattering, but I doubt I can take all of you on at once," Emi interrupted.

"Would you be willing to fight if you had a partner?" Kurama asked," Perhaps, Hiei?"

"Fox," Hiei growled.

"I see what you're doing," Emi said seriously," I'll commend you on your skills in manipulation. Alright, I accept."

Hiei whipped his head around to stare at her angrily. Emi gave him an innocent smile before turning and heading into the field. Kurama followed her and placed his hand on Hiei's shoulder as he passed. The rest of the fighters got up and jogged after them.

"No, how could they?" Koenma bawled.

Hiei glanced over at the toddler and rolled his eyes, before he flitted in front of Emi with his sword out and ready.

"Let's get this stupid thing over with," he grumbled.

"Aw, come on, live a little," Emi teased, " It's not like we haven't fought large numbers before."

"You don't know what they are capable of," Hiei growled.

"And that's why I have you to cover for me," Emi grinned," Let's show them what we've got okay?"

A cough interrupted their conversation. They turned their heads and noticed Kurama standing a little in front of the rest of their opponents. His rose whip was out but his stance was still completely relaxed.

"How about we make this interesting?" Emi shouted across the field.

"Shut up," Hiei grumbled towards her.

Emi ignored him and kept her eyes trained on Kurama.

"And what do you propose?" Kurama asked.

"If we win, you boys take me and the girls shopping," Emi said," I can't keep borrowing their clothes."

"And if we win?" Kurama asked.

"What do you want?" Emi retorted.

"How about a date? With all of us" Chu chimed in.

Hiei growled and gave the drunk demon an intense glare.

"Okay," Emi answered.

Hiei once again turned to stare at her incredulously.

"Are you out of your mind?" Hiei hissed.

"I'm perfectly sane," Emi answered happily.

"Then why are you agreeing to this!" he growled.

"Because I know we'll win," Emi said seriously before grinning," And you know you're the only one for me."

Hiei's eye twitched in irritation and he let out another growl. A loud wail caught everyone's attention, and they turned to look at the sobbing prince that was being restrained by Botan.

"I should throw the fight just to watch you suffer," Hiei grumbled.

"You and I both know you're too prideful for that," Emi retorted," Besides, if we win I'll do whatever you want for a day."

"You can't take that back now," Hiei grinned maliciously.

"I'll probably regret it," Emi muttered.

"I'll make sure you do," Hiei said sinisterly.

"You two done flirting yet?" Chu yelled over to them.

He was answered with two glares. He let out a bellowing laugh and tossed his now empty bottle to the ground. The sound of shattering glass triggered the fight, and Hiei leapt forward and immediately locked blades with Touya. He jumped back to avoid Kurama's rose whip, and had to side step and duck under Chu's punch. Shishiwakamaru's blade headed towards Hiei's unguarded back. All of a sudden his blade's decent halted. He had just enough time to notice the barrier protecting Hiei before an energy whip wrapped around his ankle and threw him over everyone's heads. He fell to the ground, his body jerking from the electricity in the ropes. The fight froze for a moment and everyone turned to face Emi. She stood in a defensive stance, her energy surrounding her and sparking randomly.

"Don't forget I'm still here," she said with a grin.

Thousands of tendrils shot from the ground behind her. The fighters tensed and stood at the ready, trying to keep their attention on Emi and Hiei at the same time.

"Things just got interesting." Chu grinned before he leapt forward.

* * *

Wow! Okay! Fight scenes…ugg…ugg…ugg…gonna be so very hard to write. But got in some Emi and Hiei alone time, which makes me happy haha I just love torturing Koenma. And Rinku's such a little perv kekeke Chu's such a bad influence.

I'm probably going to be updating every week now instead of twice a week. I actually took a break (an extremely long one) from studying to churn out this chapter. So I'm hoping it meets all of your expectations. We'll be getting into the whole overthrowing of Enma soonish….I think….But yeah, thanks for reading. Review please! And tell me what you think :D


	15. Chapter 13

An Eternity of Lies Ch. 13

* * *

Thanks for the review Roses-of-Envy! :) I really appreciate it! Don't kill me for the update being late one day. I tried all day to publish it but fanfiction wouldn't let me into the manage stories tab. So i had to send an email to support and now it works! So it's a little late, but it wasn't my fault. But yeah...

Well here's the fight scene so tell me what you guys think!

* * *

"_I'm surrounded by idiots, but they mean well." - Hiei_

* * *

"Their teamwork is amazing," Botan murmured in awe," It must have taken them years to become so synchronized."

"Well they did have something going on right?" a now awake Yusuke drawled.

"Even fighters that have been fighting together for years don't always achieve such a high level of harmonization," Genkai commented.

"My question is how are they still able to work so well together, even though their skills have changed," Kuwabara said wide-eyed.  
"Their instincts, their ability to cover the weaknesses of the other" Genkai commented," And their trust in each other."

"Not going to say anything Koenma?" Yusuke taunted.

"As long as she's safe," Koenma grumbled," But I still don't like it."

"Well I think it's adorable," Botan retorted," It's like one of those dramas."

"Two lovers separated by unseen circumstances, only to find each other years later and still be completely in tune," Keiko continued," It's so romantic."

"Ew, romantic and Hiei don't belong in the same conversation," Kuwabara commented.

"Really?" Yukina answered innocently," I always thought if Hiei ever found someone his partner would be one of the luckiest people in the world."

"I see what you're saying Yukina," Botan answered," He's kind of quiet but he's extremely honorable and protective of what he cares about. I'm sure he'd do anything to keep whoever he's with happy."

"Maybe I should go find someone like him instead," Keiko taunted.

The three girls nodded in agreement.

"You don't really mean that right?" Kuwabara asked aghast," Yukina?"

Yukina shrugged with a smile. The three girls burst out laughing at the boys' scandalized faces.

"That's not even funny," Yusuke grumbled.

Once the girls calmed down they all looked back to the fight, just in time to see a barrier materialize around Hiei and knock back Chu and Suzuki.

* * *

Touya stood behind the fight with Shishiwakamaru. He had a tight grip on his bleeding arm, and was trying to slow the blood flow from a large cut. Shishiwakamaru was besides him recovering from the initial shock from the barrier, and getting ready to rejoin the fight. They both watched as Chu went flying into a tree besides them, before he shot back up and leapt back into the fray. Kurama leapt back and joined the two recovering fighters.

"They were better than I expected," he commented," and I didn't know she could be so ruthless."

"Tell me about it," Touya mumbled," She knocked me back right when Hiei got me in the arm."

"At least you didn't get electrocuted and thrown into the air," Shishiwakamaru retorted.

"She's starting to tire out at least," Kurama said hopefully, "we just need a plan of attack."

"If you've come up with anything, I'm all ears," Suzuki said as he landed next to Kurama," Chu said he'd keep them busy for as long as he can."

The sound of Chu's maniacal laughter echoed across the field.

"Right," Kurama said," Now, I noticed that Emi usually doesn't attack unless Hiei's in danger. She usually just defends, and covers his weak points. It seems she can only control a certain amount of tendrils at a time. The amount has been decreasing as she tires."

"Her strings are also electrified so I can use my ice as a conductor if I have to," Touya added in.

"Yeah, so what you're saying is we need to split up and take all her attention away from Hiei," Shishiwakamaru surmised.

"Yes," Kurama answered," Then once we incapacitate Hiei, Emi will have to surrender, because she can't take us all at once, and hiding behind her barrier will do her no good as long as we are waiting outside of it. If she refuses, Touya can send ice through the ground and we can electrocute her from the inside."

"Sounds devious," Suzuki grinned," I like it."

Their discussion was interrupted by Chu as he skidded by them on his back. They all turned to see Hiei standing calmly on the field.

"Give up already?" Hiei taunted.

"No, just figuring out the best way to defeat you," Kurama answered.

"Hn, you won't win," Hiei snarled," So you all might as well come fight and get it over with."

All the fighters but Shishiwakamaru stood up in a line and got into defensive stances. They all sped forward as if to continue to attack as they were. When they were almost upon Hiei, Kurama sent his whip out and wrapped it around Hiei's sword. The other three fighters sped past him and headed directly for Emi. Hiei's eyes widened for a moment before he let out a feral grin.

"So that's what you're up to," Hiei growled," I won't let you."

He turned and started to run, but had to jump back and dodge Kurama's rose whip when it struck the ground in front of him. He turned back to face Kurama.

"Your opponent is me," Kurama said seriously.

"Fine, but I'll tell you now," Hiei said emotionlessly," You're all greatly underestimating her."

"We'll see about that," Kurama retorted.

* * *

Emi shifted her feet and stared down the three approaching fighters. An evil grin made its way on her face, a grin that would have made Hiei proud. Touya couldn't help but shudder when he saw it, but he kept his pace. He and the other two fighters separated and jumped away from the different masses of energy crashing down above them. They weaved and dodged, and headed directly towards Emi. Chu could tell Emi was getting frustrated when she had to keep turning to keep track of them. Suzuki was able to get within a few feet of her before she noticed him and pushed him back. The other three noticed this and increased their pace.

"You can't keep this up forever," Touya taunted.  
"I can damn well try," Emi yelled back with determination.

"Kitties got claws," Chu grinned," I like it."

"You should start thinking about where our date will be," Suzuki said," 'Cause we won't lose."

Emi rolled her eyes and sent more strings to strike the narcissist. Unbeknownst to Emi, Shishiwakamaru had shrunk down to his imp form and was slowly making his way towards her, using his teammates as a distraction. He had his needle out and ready and was hovering high above the battlefield, waiting for the opportune movement to strike.

* * *

Hiei let the rose whip wrap around his arm, and sent flames down to burn the vine. Kurama quickly dropped the now useless weapon and summoned another one. Hiei barely flinched as a stray rose petal sliced his cheek. He felt a slight burning in the cut and quickly dodged the rest of the petals.

"So you noticed," Kurama said," but one cut is enough."

"I'll finish the fight first," Hiei said confidently.

"It's a pretty fast moving poison," Kurama commented.

"I've been through worse," Hiei answered," Now stop stalling."

"You caught me," Kurama said airily," Then let us continue."

Hiei sped towards the fox demon, and dodged the whip's strikes as well as he could. Fighting a long-range fighter had him at a disadvantage, especially as a short-range fighter himself. But Hiei hadn't lived this long fighting weaklings.

He ducked under one of Kurama's swings and sped forward. Kurama leapt back from the strike, but still procured a long cut across the stomach. It wasn't deep, but it stung immensely, and caused Kurama to falter. Kurama tensed up, ready for Hiei to take advantage of his moment of distraction. And Hiei did, but not the way Kurama had predicted. In the second pause that Kurama had given him, Hiei had turned around and sped off towards Emi.

The yellow threads of energy completely ignored Hiei, and Kurama watched fascinated as Hiei even ran through some of them as if he were made of air. This happened in the labyrinth didn't it?

He heard a loud cry of surprise and looked to the side. Chu was hanging upside down about a hundred feet in the air. The yellow strings were wrapped around both his legs and his arms were tied against his back. Suzuki suffered a similar fate, and only Touya was still left dodging the strings in an attempt to get to Emi.

Kurama ran forward. Now that his attempt to distract Hiei had failed, he would have to try and get to Emi as well. Hopefully, Shishiwakamaru would sneak up on her soon or maybe Hiei would succumb to the poison running through his veins.

* * *

Hiei shook his head as his vision started to blur around the edges. The poison was moving faster than he thought it would. At least in this huge forest of energy he had an advantage because Emi's energy did not see him as a threat. He heard Chu's outraged scream to the side. A thin thread brushed against his arm and he could feel a tingle of electricity. So Emi had incapacitated two already, but she was tiring quickly. He let his hand brush a different thread and sent a mental message back.

Emi listened closely and her eyes narrowed. It seemed Hiei only had a few more minutes before the poison finally knocked him unconscious. That fox was smart to distract Hiei and send the rest towards her, but she had fought more demons in the labyrinth than this. Although, the majority of them hadn't had even half the intelligence of the individuals she was facing now. She swept her arm to the side and was able to sweep the ice demon to the side. In the next few minutes, the victor of the fight would be decided. She sent a message back to Hiei. I trust you it said. She got a grunt in return.

With a deep breath, the thin barrier around her started to unravel, leaving her vulnerable. The strings from the barrier joined the others in attacking. She closed her eyes and let her mind be completely connected and overtaken by the threads surrounding her. In her mind she could now see and feel everything the threads felt. She could feel Chu and Suzuki struggling with their bonds, and could fell Hiei making his way towards her at rapid speeds. With this attack, everywhere her threads touched was her domain, but her mind would be completely disconnected from the outside world, her body, left completely still and unable to move. It was up to Hiei to keep her safe.

* * *

Shishiwakamaru hovered over the battlefield. His eyes darted left and right frantically and he held his needle in a death grip. The memory of the thread's electricity was still fresh on his mind. He could still imagine the electricity coursing through his veins, and was extremely apprehensive about joining the others again. He looked over when his needle caught the light. It gave off a sickly green tinge, and he remembered the sedative Kurama had coated his needle with. His only job was to prick Emi in the back of the neck. Seemed easy enough. A stray thread flew inches from his side. Or, maybe not.

He perked up when he noticed the barrier around Emi unraveling. She wasn't moving anymore. In fact, she stood as still as a statue. And while before she had to wave her arms to control the ropes, now they were moving faster and more efficiently without her. Her eyes were closed, and her back completely defenseless. He watched as Kurama and Touya intercepted Hiei a few yards from Emi's position. This was his chance! With that he sped forward. His smaller body made it easier to dodge the strings, and made him more difficult to sense. He would use this distraction, and the fight would be won.

* * *

Hiei sluggishly struggled under the weight of Touya's strike. Sweat beaded his forehead and it took all his willpower to continue staying awake. Kurama struck out with his whip and Hiei dodged to the side, barely dodging another one of Touya's strikes. He commended them for being able to pressure him this much. A flash of light caught his attention, and out of the corner of his eye he could see Shishiwakamaru speeding towards Emi. So that's where the imp had gone. With a growl he turned to go after him, but was again forced to dodge Touya and Kurama's combined attacks. His eyes darted around him and he tried to formulate a plan. Another thread softly brushed his arm. And he let it twist around his wrist. While he dodged he kept his primary focus on Emi and the imp. His inattention caused him to receive a few more scratches, but the fight would be over soon.

Kurama tensed and attacked with more vigor, those two were up to something if that thread was any indication. He assumed they could communicate through it, and he refused to let them come up with a plan of retaliation. His whip hit the thread sharply, and he watched in shock as it came off Hiei's wrist. Hiei turned to glare at him, and Kurama grinned. Good, their planning was cut off. His triumph was short lived, as Hiei's frown morphed into a smirk. Without another glance, Hiei turned and sped towards Emi.

Kurama and Touya ran towards him again, but suddenly their visions were overtaken by yellow, and they found themselves trapped in massive yellow cages. Kurama felt a shock when he reached out to touch one of the bars. He immediately grabbed another seed from his hair and pushed his energy into it. Thick roots started to form and burrow into the ground. Fine, he would dig his way out. The roots suddenly stopped digging, and Kurama growled in frustration. Damn! There was a layer of energy in the ground as well. He really was caged from every side.

* * *

Shishiwakamaru grinned in triumph. One more foot and his needle would make contact with the back of the girl's neck. One more inch and victory would be theirs.

His decent was suddenly brought to a jolting halt. A soft ping from his needle hitting another metal surface was heard. His vision slowly focused around him, and he saw Hiei's panting form standing next to Emi, his sword outstretched to hide her neck. Where did he come from? He looked to the side and noticed two large rectangular cages protruding from the ground. Slowly he dropped his arm to his side, and hovered backwards. His eyes stayed connected to Hiei's unsteady ones.

"Looks like you lose," Hiei said quietly.

"We surrender," Shishiwakamaru grudgingly replied.

Once the words left his mouth, the yellow strings dissolved into the air like yellow dust particles. Emi's body jerkily came back to life and she turned to see Hiei's sword stretched out behind her.

"Hiei?" she asked hesitantly.

The sword dropped from Hiei's grip and he fell forward. Emi gasped and went to catch him. Not expecting his weight, she fell onto her back with him on top of her. His head landed on her stomach and knocked the air out of her. He was unconscious before her back hit the ground. She could hear running footsteps approaching them, but could only stare in shock at the fire demon that took up her lap as she sat up.

"Whoa, if you want to celebrate at least get a room," Yusuke said impishly as he arrived on the scene.

"If it wasn't for my current position I would kick your ass," Emi hissed.

"Dang! She's like a female Hiei," Kuwabara muttered.

"That was so cool!" Rinku interrupted," You need to teach me how to do that with my yo-yos."

"Man, that electrocution looked painful," Jin chimed in.

"It was," Shishiwakamaru muttered sullenly.

"Okay, give them some room," Genkai ordered as she walked calmly through the crowd of boys.

The boys backed up obediently, still shouting out comments.

"Kurama, is the poison you gave Hiei life threatening?" Emi asked.

"No, it was meant to knock him out," Kurama answered," I'm surprised he lasted so long."

"I'm not," Kuwabara muttered," He's a stubborn bastard."

"Ain't that the truth," Yusuke grinned.

Everyone nodded in agreement and Emi couldn't help but inwardly agree as well.

"Well, since he's okay," Yusuke started," We don't need to bring him in for medical attention."

"So what do you suggest?" Kurama replied, sensing the direction of the conversation.

"Let's just leave him here," Yusuke replied as he walked away.

"What?" Emi exclaimed," You can't do that!"

The others turned to follow Yusuke, and Emi watched helplessly as she was left in the field with Hiei's deadweight pinning her down.

"Hey!" Emi screamed," Come back!"

Her words were ignored and she crossed her arms and exhaled loudly. Her eyes drifted down to Hiei's face. A part of her couldn't help but think how adorable he looked sleeping. Of course, she would never admit it out loud. She raised one of her arms and tried to summon some more energy threads. Her energy sparked and fizzled at her fingertips, and she realized how depleted her energy really was. It seems she wouldn't be able to lift him off after all. Her hand unconsciously found its way into his hair and she ran her fingers through it as she looked up at the clouds.

Back at the temple, a cooing Botan was restraining Koenma, again. The approaching boys watched in amusement and mild disgust as the three girls squealed about the two fighters still in the field. Koenma's struggles and whines completely ignored and drowned out by the girls.

* * *

The sun was starting to set when Hiei regained consciousness. His movements were still a bit sluggish, but he could feel the effects of the sedative fading away.

"Can you move?" Emi asked gently.

Hiei grunted and placed his arm on the ground as leverage as he sat up. Emi reached out and helped him.

"Man, do you know how heavy you are?" Emi teased," my legs went numb after the first half hour and now I can't fell them. Maybe, I night have to amputate."

Hiei rolled his eyes and surveyed his surroundings.

"What happened?" Hiei asked.

"We won for one," Emi answered airily," like I said we would. And then you fell unconscious, using me as a pillow, and here we are now. I demand payment for my services by the way."

"You should feel honored I even let you in my presence," Hiei muttered.

"Did you just make a joke?" Emi gasped," Oh my gosh, the world is ending."

Hiei's eye twitched and he stood up to walk away.

"Wait, I'm sorry about that," Emi laughed," But I was serious about my legs being numb."

Hiei grunted and turned around and stared down at her.

"What?" Emi huffed," I gave you a comfortable pillow. The least you could do is bring me back inside."

Hiei rolled his eyes again and reached towards her. Emi reached forward, expecting him to help her up. Instead, she found herself airborne and staring at the ground from her position over his shoulder.

"Not what I meant," Emi muttered.

"You didn't specify," Hiei retorted with badly hidden amusement.

"Well I am now, so put me down," Emi snarled.

Hiei ignored her and started making his way towards the temple. Emi grumbled from her place behind him, before a malicious grin made its way on her face.

"I see," Emi trailed off.

"See what?" Hiei muttered, unable to hide his curiosity.

"The reason you could tell Rinku's intentions back at the temple," Emi continued vaguely.

"What intentions?" Hiei grumbled in irritation.  
"Well, you're obviously trying to look up my skirt," Emi drawled," I mean why else would you carry me like this? You pervert."

She felt Hiei tense and pause mid step. She started to giggle when he let out a growl. Without a moments hesitation Emi felt Hiei drop her onto the ground. She watched as he stomped back towards the temple, her laughter following him as he slid the door open and entered. Emi leaned back and placed her palms on the ground as leverage. A few minutes passed before she heard footsteps approaching.

"Now what could you possibly be doing out here Ms. Takahashi?" Kurama asked in amusement.

"It's Emi," she replied," and obviously I'm star-gazing."

"I see," Kurama said indulgently," May I join you?"

"Go for it," Emi replied.

They say in silence for a bit before Kurama broke the silence.

"In the labyrinth, you said Hiei held no feeling for you," he started," but I and everyone see otherwise."

"I didn't say he held no feelings," Emi said," I just said he didn't love me. Especially not the way I love him."

"I'm pretty sure he feels strongly towards you at least," Kurama replied.

"Yeah, probably," Emi said quietly," But I don't think he'll ever say I love you."

"And you are unsatisfied with this?" Kurama questioned.

"No, Hiei always was more about action than words," Emi sighed," And that's enough for me. But it would be nice if he said it. But that's completely out of character no?"

"I guess it is," Kurama replied.

They sat in silence for a bit longer before Emi's stomach growled.

"Hungry?" Kurama asked.

Emi looked at him as if to ask if he was serious.

"I've been stuck in a field for hours with no food, and I've been completely depleted of energy," Emi said as if it were obvious.

"Would you like something to eat?" Kurama asked.

"Sure, but my legs aren't listening right now," Emi said sheepishly.

"Ah, of course," Kurama replied.

He reached down and helped her to her feet. He wrapped his arm around her waist to steady her and made his way into the temple. Right before he entered he stared behind him and let his hand slip a bit lower than was appropriate. His eyes met a pair of red ones and he grinned challengingly. Emi looked up at him and lifted his arm back up to the safe zone around her waist.

"You really are a fox," Emi muttered.

"I never denied it," Kurama grinned.

They made their way into the temple and Kurama closed the door. Emi kept her gaze on the floor, making sure she wouldn't trip. Above her, an evil grin made its way across Kurama's face. He figured he could mess around a little to get a reaction out of the fire demon. They were going to go to war soon after all. It was no time to be stalling, and he figured the two should completely make up before they went off to battle. All they needed was a little push.

"So what's for dinner?" Emi asked.

"How about fried chicken? And ice cream for desert?" Kurama asked.

"Sure, sounds interesting," Emi replied," Never tried it, but sounds good."

* * *

"Guys, where'd the ice cream go?" Yusuke asked as he took out a popsicle.

Kuwabara jerked his chin in front of him and Yusuke followed the motion. On the windowsill was a figure eating out of a large tub of ice cream. While this was a normal occurrence, there was one inconsistency. The person who was sitting on the windowsill was not Hiei, it was Emi.

"Does she know that the ice cream is reserved for Hiei?" Yusuke muttered as he sat next to Kuwabara.

"No idea," Kuwabara answered just as quietly," Apparently Kurama gave her some last night and she got hooked."

"Wow, what are the odds," Yusuke said, not taking his eyes off Emi as she happily ate another spoonful of ice cream.

"Hello boys," Botan greeted," what are we looking at?"

The two boys pointed at Emi before going back to their popsicles, their eyes never straying from the girl. Botan took a seat next to Yusuke and watched Emi as well. Slowly the room filled up and soon a large audience was in the room watching the former princess.

"What's going on in here?" Kurama asked.

Keiko quickly shushed him and pulled him down to sit with the rest of them. She motioned towards Emi. Kurama let out a chuckle and sat down silently.

"What time is it?" he whispered.

"Around the time Hiei gets back from training," Kuwabara mumbled.

"I hope nothing bad happens," Yukina said worriedly.

The door to the side slid open and everyone turned their heads. They watched a sweat covered Hiei enter the room, his shirt thrown over his shoulder. He ignored the crowd and walked into the kitchen. Everyone listened intently as they heard a drawer open and the sound of clinking metal as Hiei fished out a spoon. They listened apprehensively for the sound of the refrigerator door opening, and were very surprised when Hiei simply walked out with a spoon.

"Couldn't you have showered first?" Emi muttered," You stink."

Hiei rolled his eyes and shook his head. Beads of sweat fell from the strands and Emi cried out in disgust, using her body to shield the ice cream. Hiei sat in the available space on the windowsill and took the tub of ice cream. He scooped out some and ate it. Emi rolled her eyes and reached over for the tub and took out another scoop when it was handed to her.

"Humans sure make interesting food," Emi mumbled as she studied the container.

Hiei rolled his eyes and snatched it back.

"Hey," Emi cried out.

"Just eat," Hiei grumbled as he shoved a spoonful of ice cream into Emi's mouth.

Emi happily obliged, savoring the bite. Hiei reached over and took her spoon from her so he could continue eating. Both of the windowsill's occupants turned around when they heard a shriek.

"This isn't happening! No! You can't kiss her!" Koenma wailed.

The room's occupants rolled their eyes and ignored him.

"Koenma hun, it's just a spoon," Emi commented.

"It's an indirect kiss," Koenma shouted stubbornly.

"If I wanted to kiss him I'd do it directly," Emi answered," calling that an indirect kiss is just lame."

Koenma froze in shock. He seemed to turn into a statue and everyone watched in amusement as he slumped over and crawled into a corner, completely defeated.

"I'm surprised you're sharing Hiei," Kurama said.

"Is he not supposed to?" Emi asked confused.

"Well, usually it's assumed that all ice cream is Hiei's alone," Kurama answered.

"Oh," Emi said thoughtfully," Have any of you ever asked him for some?"

The occupants of the room froze in thought and looked at each other.

"No," Yusuke grumbled.

"Well there you go," Emi said," problem solved. It's not like its something rare in the human world anyways."

"Easy for her to say, it's not like we can just ask him," Kuwabara muttered under his breath," that's like suicide."

He got nods of agreement. Up on the windowsill a smirk slowly made its way across Hiei's face. Emi let out a small chuckle and continued eating.

"What the hell are you all doing here?" Genkai snarled as she entered the room," I didn't let you stay here so you could sit on your asses and laze around. Get to training now!"

"Damn, don't scare us like that you old hag," Yusuke shouted back.

Genkai gave him a solid whack on the back of his head that sent him sprawling. The rest of the occupants backed away and ran out the door. Genkai followed at a sedate pace. Yusuke got up grumbling and noticed the two occupants of the windowsill were still eating.

"Hey, grandma!" Yusuke yelled," Why aren't you yelling at them?"

"Hiei already trained by himself this morning, and they both won yesterday," Genkai retorted," Obviously the losers are the one's that need the training. Now get out!"

Yusuke scrambled to his feet and jogged out the door. Muttering swear words as he went. Genkai followed and slammed the door behind her.

"We won yesterday," Hiei stated.

"Mmhmm," Emi said through her mouthful of ice cream.

"That means you do whatever I want for a week," Hiei grinned maliciously.

Emi froze and slowly swallowed her ice cream. She tried to keep her expression calm.

"So what do you have in mind?" she asked apprehensively.

"Tomorrow you'll join me in training," Hiei said," We'll start from there."

"Are you serious," Emi whined," You wake up at the crack of dawn."

"Then you better not be late, or you'll suffer," Hiei answered.

"Fine," Emi grumbled.

The sound of a spoon being dropped into the now empty tub of ice cream was heard. Hiei got up and threw the two spoons in the sink and the tub in the trash. Emi jumped from the windowsill and they both made their way out of the room. The door shut quietly behind them. In the corner Koenma continued sulking, completely forgotten.

* * *

Hey guys! So the fight scene went pretty well. I think. I tried to emphasize how well they worked together as a team. Hopefully it showed. But I wanted Emi to seem strong herself too. I mean she did take on three opponents by herself for a while.

As for the ice cream, I don't really see Hiei making that big a deal out of it. And I don't think he really cares what people think about him. It's just food after all. Or at least that's how I would interpret it. Although, sharing with Emi is a different scenario than sharing with other people haha I'm thinking of changing the genre to humor or something. Cause it's not as dramatic as it started out to be. But we will see. We still need Yomi and Mukuro to come into the picture. Nyahaha~!

Well hope you all like it. Until next time. Reviews are always welcome! Please?


	16. Chapter 14

An Eternity of Lies Ch. 14

* * *

Thanks so much to SammiKnight and Roses-of-Envy for the reviews! :D

* * *

"_Does a death wish cause you to speak to me that way?" – Hiei_

* * *

Koenma stood nervously in front of one of the guest rooms in Genkai's temple. On the other side of the rice paper door was his mother's sleeping form. It had barely hit ten o'clock but his mother was still recuperating from her resurrection. The fight the afternoon before hadn't helped her recovery either. Not to mention Hiei had kept Emi busy all day since the fight because of their stupid deal. Now was the only time Koenma could finally get Emi alone, and he guiltily looked at the ground. He too needed her assistance for something. With a resigned sigh he reached out and opened the door. His mother's slumbering form was illuminated by the moonlight streaming in from the window. He took a few tentative steps forward and knelt at her side. He reached forward and shook her shoulder lightly.

"Mom," Koenma whispered," mom wake up."

"Wah?" Emi murmured sleepily.

"I'm sorry," Koenma said quickly," I know it's late, but I really need your help."

"What do you need?" Emi asked as she sat up.

"Well, a number of high class demons will be coming to the temple any day now, and I'm positive father will notice the energy levels if we don't find a way to hide it."

"So you want a barrier," Emi stated.

"Yes?" Koenma said hesitantly.

"Are you asking me?" Emi replied with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm telling you?" Koenma questioned.

Emi let out a small laugh and got up to put on a robe. Koenma stood up and waited by the door.

"Alright, how far do you want it?" Emi asked.

"Are you sure you can handle it?" Koenma asked hesitantly.

"I'll be fine," Emi consoled," I had to keep a series of barriers and cages up at all times in the labyrinth. But thank you for worrying."

"Okay then," Koenma said skeptically as he led Emi towards the edges of the temple.

As the door shut a figure appeared standing on the windowsill of Emi's room. Two glowing red eyes shone in the dark, and the figure was silhouetted by the moonlight. Hiei sat down and got himself situated. The stupid girl was going to tire herself out again. He put his arms behind his head and looked up at the moon. Maybe, waking her a little later tomorrow morning wouldn't hurt.

* * *

Emi stood in the kitchen chugging a glass of water. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun and sweat covered her brow. Yusuke trudged in just in time to see her slam the glass onto the countertop and let out a relieved sigh.

"Oh! Good Morning!" Emi greeted happily when she noticed him.

"Hey," Yusuke grumbled as he sluggishly walked to the fridge.

Emi watched the half-awake boy in amusement and crept around him towards the door. She grabbed a bottle of some power drink before making her way back outside. Hiei stood a few yards in front of her with his arm outstretched and in flames. Emi walked towards him and threw the bottle at him. Hiei caught it without looking up from his flaming palm. The fire went out and he reached over and uncapped the beverage. He took a sniff and quickly held it away from him.

"What is this?" he asked.

"It says Gatorade," Emi answered.

"I can read," Hiei grumbled," Get something else. It smells disgusting."

"Get it yourself," Emi retorted and plopped down in the grass.

"Did you forget?" Hiei taunted smugly," For a week you do whatever I say. It may be the last day but you're still under my command."

"If you don't even try it how do you know you don't like it?" Emi asked stubbornly.

"It smells like sugar and salt," Hiei deadpanned," Hardly a combination I'd call appealing."

"Fine," Emi said as she got up," give it here."

Hiei tossed the bottle back over and Emi caught it with two hands. She opened it and took a sip. Her nose wrinkled and her face scrunched up.

"It's not terrible," Emi surmised slowly," Just a little strange."

"Just get something else," Hiei ordered.

"Yeah, yeah," Emi mumbled as she headed back to the kitchen.

Hiei watched her retreating form, and couldn't help the smirk that graced his face.

"You seem like you're having fun," Kurama commented from behind him.

"You're seeing things fox," Hiei retorted.

"I don't think I am," Kurama replied calmly.

Hiei didn't reply and turned back to summoning flames onto his arm.

"So, what have you two been up to?" Kurama asked.

"Training," Hiei mumbled.

"You get to order her around for a week and you choose training," Kurama said incredulously," Why not something else?"

"Get your mind out of the gutter fox," Hiei retorted angrily.

"I didn't mean anything by it," Kurama answered impishly," Perhaps it is you who should get their mind out of the gutter. Besides, I only meant you two should hang out, as the humans say. You don't want someone else to sweep her off her feet do you?"

Hiei rolled his eyes and extinguished his arm. He reached for his sword and swung it at Kurama's neck. Kurama leapt back and raised his arms in front of him. Emi exited the temple and approached the pair wearily.

"Now, Hiei, I was only teasing," Kurama placated," I only came to tell you we were all going to the beach in an hour or so."

"What's going on?" Emi wondered out loud.

"Nothing," Hiei huffed and turned away.

"I can sense when I'm not wanted," Kurama said suggestively," have fun you two. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Hiei growled and swiftly turned around only to see that Kurama had already escaped into the temple.

"What was that all about?" Emi asked.

Hiei walked over and snatched the water bottle from her hands. He uncapped it and started drinking.

"Okay, don't tell me," Emi grumbled as she followed, "so are we doing defensive or offensive today?"

"We aren't doing either," Hiei answered monotonously and started heading towards the forest.

"Really?" Emi asked surprised," Then what are we doing."

Hiei didn't answer and continued walking. Emi followed silently, her curiosity getting the better of her. They walked through the trees in silence. The occasional bird chirped above them, and the leaves rustled as the forest animals fled from Hiei's ominous presence. He took a few steps more and stopped. He looked up into the tree line and jumped into the branches. Emi watched as he flitted into the tree.

"Are you coming or not?" Hiei's voice sounded from above before he continued higher into the forest canopy.

Emi's eyebrows furrowed in confusion before she used her barrier to pull herself onto the same branch Hiei stopped on. The branch was just large enough to hold both of their weight and still allow a few feet of space between them. Hiei stood near the very end of the branch while Emi stayed near the trunk, her hand placed on the bark at all times.

"Why are we up here?" Emi asked quietly.

"Just shut up and listen," Hiei grumbled.

Emi huffed in annoyance and watched the fire demon in front of her. Hiei stood with his eyes closed, arms crossed, and each breath he took was even and calm. Emi followed his example and closed her eyes, keeping a string of energy anchoring her to the tree trunk. A few moments passed and then she heard it. It was a hiss in the distance, wavering in volume at constant intervals, and sometimes interrupted by a splash. A soft breeze caressed her face and she noticed a slightly salty smell in the air. It was calming, whatever it was, and she opened her eyes to see the source. All she saw though were the tree branches in front of her. The sounds and smells now seemed muted when her eyes were opened.

"What is that?" Emi asked in wonder.

"We will be meeting up with the others in a moment. You'll find out then," Hiei answered.

"Why not show me now?" Emi grumbled impatiently.

Hiei rolled his eyes and walked along the branch until he was directly in front of her. Emi felt a slight sense of déjà vu as Hiei reached forward and pulled her into his arms and jumped higher into the canopy. The move was sudden, and Emi could only let out a slight squeak as the air left her lungs. She clung to the fabric on Hiei's shoulders and let go in embarrassment once he stopped. He placed her onto her feet and allowed her to cling to him. The branch they were on now was thin and short. When Emi regained her balance she looked at Hiei quizzically. Hiei motioned forwards with his chin and Emi turned to see what he was gesturing to.

For a moment the sun blinded her, and she reached up a hand to shade her eyes. A gasp left her lips when everything came into focus. A huge expanse of water stretched as far as the eye could see. A cliff was to the far right, and waves crashed continuously against the rocky wall. The water swept up onto a bed of sand before receding. The motion repeated and Emi stared in wonder as the sun's rays reflected on the water like a bed of diamonds.

"It's the ocean," Emi whispered breathlessly," It's so much more amazing in person than in a book."

"It's just salt water," Hiei commented emotionlessly.

"It's an entire world, an entire community completely separate from us who live on land," Emi gushed excitedly," I've only ever read about it in books, but I never thought I would ever visit the the human world to see it."

"It gets old after awhile," Hiei muttered.  
"Maybe," Emi replied," but right now I seriously can't believe I'm here."

The two stood in silence for a few minutes, just taking the landscape in. A flash of red caught Emi's attention and her eyes darted to the right. From their vantage point, a person with bright red hair was making their way across the sand. Behind him more people made their way out of the tree line.

"Let's go," Hiei said.

Emi nodded and let Hiei lift her from the branch. The trip to the ground was quick and the run to the border between the forest and sand even faster. Once Hiei got near the sand he stopped and set Emi down. Emi walked forward and stepped onto the sand before she realized Hiei wasn't following. She turned around and looked at his shadowed form in the forest.

"Aren't you coming?" Emi asked uncertainly.

"You're free for the day," Hiei replied emotionlessly.

Hiei turned around and walked back the way he came. Emi made to follow but was stopped by Botan who had noticed her presence and run over.

"When did you get here?" Botan questioned excitedly.

"Just now," Emi replied still staring into the forest.

"Well, come on then, you need to try on the swimsuit I got you," Botan exclaimed," this is going to be so much fun!"

Emi let herself be dragged towards the others, her eyes occasionally darting back towards the spot Hiei had been standing at.

* * *

Hiei sat nestled in the branches of one of the trees that bordered the beach. The sound of laughter and the cawing of seagulls permeated the air. A scream was heard as Yusuke tossed Keiko into the water. Kuwabara was farther from the water and was helping Yukina prepare a picnic. Koenma was yelling at Botan for buying Emi a swimsuit, and Emi was standing just close enough for the water to sweep across her feet. Jin was hovering above the waves laughing as he knocked Chu and Suzuki into the water with a blast of air. Kurama sat next to Touya on a towel and they partook in idle chatter. Shishiwakamaru sat sullenly on a corner of the same towel.

Hiei let himself relax but kept his senses alert for any danger around the area. His eyes darted towards the large group every once in a while. And he made sure to keep Emi within his view when she entered the water. Her body was still recuperating and he didn't want her drowning. Never in a thousand years would he admit his attention was partially because of the bikini top and waterproof skirt she was sporting.

His thoughts were quickly interrupted when he felt a strong dense demonic energy sweep the area. He leapt up and turned his attention in the direction of the temple. Someone strong had arrived, and he was pretty sure he knew who it was. Another second passed and Kurama and Yusuke appeared underneath the tree he stood in., Koenma floating along beside Yusuke.

"Looks like Yomi and the others are here," Kurama commented.

"I say we go greet them," Yusuke suggested with a grin.

Hiei grunted an affirmation and leapt down to join the three boys. The four left without another sound. The people on the beach were too engrossed in their activities and did not notice their sudden departure.

* * *

Emi trudged exhaustingly after the others. They had been at the beach until the sun started to set, and were now making their way back to the temple. The boys were still shouting and wrestling as they walked, and Emi glared enviously at their energetic forms. Beside her, Keiko put a comforting hand on Emi's shoulder. Emi looked up at her and they both traded understanding looks. Botan watched their interaction before she summoned her oar.

"We girls are tired so we will be making our way to the temple first," Botan said loudly.

"The forest is pretty dangerous," Kuwabara commented," You should stay with us so we can protect you."

"Don't worry, we'll fly above the trees," Botan said with a grin.

Keiko and Emi let out huge sighs of relief and headed towards the grim reaper. Botan extended the oar with her energy and scoot onto it to give the two girls enough room.

"Yukina, you coming?" Keiko asked.

"Oh, of course," Yukina answered.

Yukina ran over and took a seat. Once she was situated and holding tight Botan took to the air. Her oar quickly rose and soon they were no longer in view.

"Those cheaters," Kuwabara grumbled sullenly," first Kurama, Hiei, and Yusuke disappear and now those four ditch us. I wanted to spend more time with Yukina."

* * *

The oar soared above the trees and started descending as the temple came into view. The lights in the largest meeting room were on and a dense cloud of demonic energy permeated the air. The oar hovered above the ground and the girls leapt off. They all walked forward cautiously. Keiko followed along, while she couldn't feel the demonic energy, she could feel as uncomfortable chill overtaking her form.

Emi reached forward, stood tall, and opened the doors. Only Koenma looked over at her in surprise, the other occupants having sensed her presence long before she had stepped onto the ground.

"So, this is King Enma's little wife," Yomi taunted.

"Ex, actually," Emi retorted emotionlessly," You must be the former Lord Yomi."

"You dumb human, father is still a lord and deserves your respect," Shura stood up snarling.

"Shura, sit down," Yomi commanded.

"I respect those who have earned it," Emi said towering over the now sitting child," And taunting me even before introductions will get you no where."

"I apologize for both my son's and my comments," Yomi replied in amusement," I am Yomi and you can address me as such."

Shura made to speak but Yomi silenced him with a gesture of his hand.

"It is nice to make your acquaintance Yomi," Emi answered regally," And you may call me Emi in return."

"Of course," Yomi grinned.

The three girls behind Emi let out a collective sigh as the tension lifted, but stiffened when everyone's attention focused on them.

"Why don't you three retire for the night? I'm sure you are all exhausted," Emi said turning to face them.

The three girls took the chance to escape and quickly said their good nights before racing down the porch towards a different entrance to the temple. Emi then shut the doors and knelt next to Koenma. Her hands were stacked palm up on her lap and she sat with her back straight and her chin held high.

"I apologize for being late, but I was not informed of this meeting," Emi began with a side glare at Koenma," But I'm sure everyone in this room agrees that I am one of the many reasons for the coming battle. As such, I would like to be a part of these meetings from now on. If you have any objections please state them now."

Koenma winced from the intense glare Emi gave him and sighed in relief when she lifted her eyes to make eye contact with each individual in the room.

"I don't have a problem with it," Yusuke said airily before wincing when Genkai's elbow made contact with his side.

"Another woman would even out the odds," Mukuro commented," I am Mukuro. It's nice to meet you Ms. Emi, and I'll be glad to have you."

"You were around Enma for quite some time," Kurama mused," Any inside knowledge we can obtain would be useful."

A silence enveloped the room. Koenma opened his mouth to protest, but quickly shut it when he remembered Emi's glare. When no more words were spoken Emi nodded once before speaking.

"If it is not too much trouble, I wish to know how far the meeting has progressed," Emi requested.

"We have merely went over the forces we have," Kurama said as he handed her a sheet of paper with a rough estimate of their troops.

"The number of troops will not matter if you do not have a way to enter spirit world," Emi replied while taking the paper.

"That's what Koenma is for," Yusuke blurted out.

"Do you really think Enma would be stupid enough to still allow Koenma entrance?" Hiei retorted," The toddler prince has made his intentions clear. He will be the first person locked out from those gates."

"Be calm Hiei," Mukuro soothed," that is why we are here to find a solution."

Hiei settled down with a grunt and turned to stare out the window. Kurama watched Emi's face for a reaction, and gave her props for hiding her emotions so well. Only a clenching of her fists showed her confusion and anger at seeing Hiei so easily subdued, especially by another woman.

"Enma will no doubt be gathering his troops," Emi stated after she took a deep breath," and I am positive he has shady dealings with people in the demon world."

"Oh, and how did you come across this information?" Yomi asked intrigued.

"The man's counsel was never very smart and would discuss plans and gossip in the hallways," Emi replied nonchalantly," he had many rouge demons under his command and was working towards infiltrating the troops of the three kings. That was decades ago. I have no doubt he has expanded his number of informants greatly."

"Are you insinuating that I have traitors in my troops," Yomi asked emotionlessly.

"Everyone has a price," Emi retorted," And spirit world has the largest database containing information on every living soul in all three realms. If you believe Enma will not take advantage of it, then you are dead wrong."

"We will have to make a clean sweep then," Mukuro muttered," I'm sure you can take care of things Hiei?"

Do you doubt me?" Hiei asked rhetorically.

"Never," Mukuro said in amusement.

Kurama hid his grin when he noticed Emi's eye twitch and her fists tremble. Koenma was not hiding his anger in anyway and was directing a piercing glare in Hiei's direction. Yusuke grumbled under his breath and opened his communication mirror to contact his second in command, Hokushin.

"Hey, go through all our troops," Yusuke grumbled into the communicator," anyone working for Enma gets his ass kicked and banished or whatever you do to traitors."

Before Hokushin could reply Yusuke hung up. He looked up to see everyone giving him looks ranging from incredulous to amused to exasperated.

"What?" Yusuke asked in confusion.

Genkai placed her hand on her forehead and shook her head. Sometimes she was embarrassed to have him as her student.

* * *

"Man these stuffy meeting are the worst," Yusuke exclaimed as he stretched his arms.

"Yes, but they are necessary," Kurama replied amusedly.

"I say we should just wing it," Yusuke grumbled.

"The fate of the world is too important for us to just wing it," Emi commented from his other side.

"It's worked for me so far," Yusuke grinned.

"Only because your air-filled head is too hard to penetrate," Hiei taunted from behind them.

"You would know all about being a stupid ass wouldn't you?" Emi growled before stomping off.

Kurama let out a snicker and Yusuke chuckled in amusement. Hiei glared angrily at Emi's retreating back before he stomped off in the other direction. Kurama's snickers turned into full-blown laughter. Yusuke looked back and for the between the retreating couple.

"What was that all about?" Yusuke asked in confusion.

"I'm sure it's nothing," Kurama commented as he headed towards his room.

Yusuke watched him leave before he shrugged and headed for his own room. Those two would figure it out.

* * *

Emi's steps slowed as she approached her room. A sigh left her lips and she entered her room and slid the door shut. Her shoulders slumped and she mechanically got ready for bed. She regretted lashing out at Hiei already, but she wasn't going to apologize anytime soon.

She wanted to know what Hiei and Mukuro's relationship consisted of. Doubt started to overtake her mind. Hiei had had decades to move on and find someone else. And Mukuro was a strong demoness of high standing. Hiei had never told her he loved her right? Maybe he had just been humoring her. He fought her left and right after all. Never had he given into her so easily as he had with Mukuro during the meeting. Her expression saddened further. For years she had thought Hiei was dead. And while she had been in the labyrinth he was still living. He had all the time in the world to grow in power and meet new people. All of a sudden, Emi realized how left behind she truly was. The world had moved on without her. Everyone had aged while she still remained in the body of a fourteen year old. Perhaps Hiei had as well. Could she give him up though? Emi didn't know, and she was scared she would have to find out soon. Did she even have a choice anymore? If someone else held his heart, she wouldn't stand a chance and she didn't think she could handle it.

A breeze caressed her face and she turned towards the open window, shut it, and locked it. Next, she drew the curtains closed and laid down. She stared at the ceiling, hoping to hear a tap on her window. When a few hours passed and no tap came, she closed her eyes and finally let herself be overcome by a fitful sleep.

Outside her window, Hiei stood on the branch of a nearby tree. He stared at the curtains, his brows furrowed in confusion. His anger had fizzled out hours ago, and he watched the closed window, as if he were urging it to open. She had been angry at him, and he didn't know why. Hiei scoffed in annoyance, if she wanted to ignore him then fine. He wouldn't approach her either. He turned around and hesitantly looked back at the window. Should he tap on it and confront her? No, he decided. She was angry for no apparent reason, and he shouldn't have to fret over her mood swings. With that in mind Hiei once more faced forward and leapt towards the nearest portal to demon world. He had some traitors to weed out.

* * *

Kurama watched Emi trudge towards the fridge. Dark bags were under her eyes and she moved around as if in a trance. It was now that he realized she was still a young teenager despite her former status in the spirit world. With a sigh, Kurama pushed off from the counter he was leaning on and made his way towards the young Takahashi. He placed his hand on her shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze when she flinched.

"How about I make breakfast?" Kurama offered," You've been to human world for quite a while but you've only been eating ice cream for breakfast."

"Are you sure?" Emi asked quietly," I don't want to be a bother."

"It's fine, I was going to make some for myself anyways. And Hiei isn't here to finish the ice cream with you," Kurama said kindly," You should try new things while you can."

"Oh, okay," Emi mumbled," Where is Hiei anyways?"

"He's off in demon world sweeping through Mukuro's troops for traitors," Kurama replied hesitantly.

"I see," Emi muttered under her breath.

Kurama steered her to the counter and waited for her to take a seat on a stool before he turned towards the refrigerator. He opened the door and started pulling out ingredients for pancakes.

"What is Hiei's relationship with Mukuro?" Emi asked quietly.

"I was waiting for you to ask," Kurama said kindly as he heated a pan on the stove," Hiei is merely Mukuro's second in command, and he might even be her heir if she were to perish."

"They seemed really close," Emi muttered.

"Yes, those two have both had extremely painful pasts, and are kindred spirits in a way," Kurama replied," But I doubt there is anything more than that. So there is no need for you to worry."

"I'm not worried," Emi said quickly.

"Of course you aren't," Kurama humored.

Emi pouted and crossed her arms. Kurama looked back at her sullen expression and let a small smile take over his features. He turned back around and continued making breakfast. Emi stood up curiously and made her way next to Kurama. She watched Kurama flip the pancake before putting it on a plate when it was a nice golden brown.

"Can you teach me how to do that?" Emi asked shyly.

"Of course. Do you like cooking?" Kurama asked.

"I've always wanted to try it," Emi said with a smile," It was beneath my status but I always thought cooking was a skill everyone should learn."

"I agree," Kurama commented," You never know when you will need to provide for yourself."

Emi hummed in agreement, and watched attentively as Kurama took out more ingredients for pancakes. He walked her through each step and watched in amusement as she struggled with cracking an egg and had to use a spoon to fish out some stray eggshell. Her entire concentration was focused on making the pancakes, and Kurama could feel a sense of pride as she used the spatula to put her first slightly burnt pancake on a plate. She looked up at him for approval, and Kurama chuckled and pat her on the head. A small blush made its way across her face and she flicked flour at Kurama in embarrassment. Kurama looked at her in shock before he retaliated with sprinkling flour on her head. Soon a small flour battle started. A few minutes later a groggy Yusuke slid the door open and stared at the sight before him. He rubbed his eyes and looked back up. Nope, this wasn't a dream. In front of him Emi and Kurama stood sheepishly in front of him. They were both covered in flour and on the counter top there were three towering plates of pancakes.

"Uhm, breakfast is ready?" Emi said hesitantly.

"Sounds good to me," Yusuke mumbled and walked to the clean side of the kitchen. He started eating without further ado, and Emi and Kurama shrugged their shoulders and started to clean up as quick as they could. The faster they cleaned up the faster they could eat the pancakes they had made.

* * *

Hiei's cloak was covered in blood and dried sweat covered his skin. The blood wasn't his own thankfully. He was still looking forward to a shower though. There were more traitors than he and Mukuro had thought, but they had all been dealt with and made examples of.

The sound of an explosion made its way to his ears and he took a detour to check out the source of the noise. He found Yusuke sprawled out in a crater and Emi standing with Kurama on the edges laughing at the detective's position.

"That was awesome!" Kuwabara screamed from the sidelines.

"That seriously packs a punch," Yusuke commented as he sat up and rubbed his head.

"Now that's a big boom in the face," Jin commented cheerfully.

Emi had the decency to blush and reach forward to help Yusuke from the crater. Yusuke took her hand and pulled her down with him. Emi let out a small scream and tumbled into the large hole. Kuwabara jumped up and was quick to tackle Yusuke back into the crater for manhandling a female and soon a large dust cloud exploded from the crater. Kurama summoned a thorn-less whip and fished Emi out from the chaos. Emi hung limply as the vine wrapped around her waist and pulled her up. Once her feet touched the ground Kurama retracted the whip and placed a hand on her head. Emi grinned and looked up at him.

"You are a genius," Emi complimented.

Kurama let out a laugh and ruffled her hair.

"It was a double effort," he responded modestly.

"Whatever it was, I don't want to be your test dummy next time," Yusuke interrupted as he jumped out of the crater dragging a beaten Kuwabara behind him.

"What is going on?" Hiei growled from his perch on a tree branch.

"Hiei!" Emi exclaimed and ran over," Kurama thought up a way for me to make electric bombs. It was so awesome! We blew up Yusuke."

"You did not!" Yusuke screamed," I let it hit!"

Hiei's eyebrow rose and he jumped down to stand in front of Emi.

"Dang! You're covered in blood," Kuwabara shouted.

"Hn, there were more traitors than was expected," Hiei commented airily.

"You're not hurt are you?" Emi asked worriedly.

"It's not mine," Hiei retorted.

"Oh, that's good," Emi sighed with relief.

"It's good to see you back," Kurama said as he walked over.

Hiei watched the fox approach warily. He didn't like how close Emi and Kurama seemed to have become in the short time that he was gone. The sliding door of the temple opened and Mukuro stepped out.

"Hiei," Mukuro's voice pierced the air," what do you have to report."

Emi's back stiffened and she turned her head to look at the ground. Her good mood vanished. Kurama looked at her from the corner of his eye and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Hiei growled and glared at the hand before stomping off towards Mukuro. Mukuro entered the temple and Hiei followed closely before slamming the door.

"So," Kuwabara said hesitantly," who says we watch Emi blow up Urameshi again?"

"What?" Yusuke exclaimed," Why don't you get blown up instead!"

"Sounds fun," Jin shouted," Let's make teams."

"Like dodge ball but with energy," Rinku added in.

"Sounds fine, but we need some rules," Touya said calmly.

"How about each team chooses one person to be their leader," Kurama explained," and the objective is to keep that person protected on their own side. You can dodge and block energy blasts, but if you are knocked off your feet or out of bounds then you are out. If you hit the leader of the opposing team then their entire team loses. We can play best two out of three and each person is only allowed one type of energy blast or bomb. But you can get as inventive as you want with blocking."

"Sounds good to me," Yusuke grinned," So who's on which team."

Emi let a small smile grace her face when she noticed everyone making an effort to cheer her up. She jumped into the crowd and raised her hand.

"I call team leader!" Emi exclaimed.

"Me too," Rinku screamed.

"Then we'll go with that," Kurama conceded before anyone could protest.

The two teams were quickly chosen. Emi's team consisted of Kuwabara, Kurama, Jin, and Touya. Rinku's team consisted of Yusuke, Chu, Suzuki, and Shishiwakamaru.

"You're so going down Urameshi," Kuwabara screamed," we've got Emi on our side."

"Like I'd lose to you," Yusuke replied," and making barriers is cheating."

"I won't make barriers and I'll only block with whips," Emi taunted," Is that fair enough you big baby?"

"Yeah it is," Yusuke grinned," Let's play."

Emi summoned a small ball of energy and pushed as much electricity in it as she could. She tossed it into the middle of the field. It fell to the ground and pulsed before exploding. Dust blew everywhere and the game started. Explosions could be heard along with taunts and raucous laughter.

* * *

Inside the temple Yomi's ears twitched and Shura watched worriedly as he reached up to massage his abused ears. Another explosion rocked the temple, and the girls looked out the window curiously.

"What in the world," Keiko muttered in shock.

"It's an all out brawl," Botan exclaimed.

"My mother would be in the middle of it all," Koenma sighed.

They watched as Touya leapt in front of Emi and created an ice barrier to block Yusuke's spirit gun. The ice cracked and Touya went flying back into the forest. Yusuke stood up laughing in triumph but was suddenly swatted out of his own side by Kuwabara's extended spirit fly swatter.

"Take that Urameshi," Kuwabara screamed before barely dodging Rinku's yo-yo.

The game continued in this fashion and the three bystanders turned their heads back and forth to follow the match.

"It almost looks like a life threatening version of dodge ball," Keiko commented.

"Yeah," Botan agreed incredulously.

Hiei kept his ear trained on their conversation while he reported his findings to Mukuro.

"Oh, that's got to hurt," Botan winced as Suzuki blocked Rinku and was flung out of bounds and into a tree by a wind tornado.

Kuwabara sent his swatter flying at Shishiwakamaru, but the demon shrunk down to his imp form and dodged it easily. He then called Chu and watched in satisfaction as Chu's energy blast knocked Kuwabara out of bounds before he could recover from his swing.

A green whip suddenly wrapped around Shishiwakamaru and flung him out of the ring. His tiny body flew into the air at high speeds, and he scowled down at the smug looking Kurama.

Chu sent a large energy blast at Kurama and watched him block it with a wall of vines. The blast pushed Kurama back, and he kept skidding. Chu watched in anticipation and gave a loud whoop when Kurama stopped sliding right when he crossed the line of his team's area.

"Well played," Kurama commented.

Chu grinned and turned his attention towards his remaining two opponents. Jin hovered protectively in front of Emi and Chu did the same for Rinku.

"It's down to the last four," Botan gushed," this is so exciting."

"I hope they'll be okay, especially Emi. The boys can get a bit rough sometimes," Keiko muttered worriedly.

"Oh, they'll be fine," Botan said airily," and Kurama won't let anything happen to Emi. He made up the rules after all."

Hiei twitched at the comment and got up. His report had ended a while ago anyways. He headed for the door and slid it open just as Chu sent a ball of energy careening into the ground below Jin. A dust cloud swept up from the impact and everyone's view was obscured. A shout from Emi was heard and Jin quickly sent a gust of wind to blast the dust away. When the cloud dissipated, everyone could see that Rinku's yo-yo strings were wrapped around Emi and had pulled her out of bounds.

"Yeah!" Yusuke screamed," You go kid! One point for us! In your face Kuwabara!"

"We still have two more games Urameshi," Kuwabara retorted," so we can still kick your ass."

"Then let's make it interesting," Yusuke screamed," losing team buys dinner for the winning team."

"You're on!" Kuwabara accepted.

"Don't make decisions for us!" Jin yelled in mock anger.

The strings dropped Emi to the ground and Kurama was quick to jog over and help her up. Emi smiled thankfully at him as she dusted herself off. Hiei watched angrily as everyone headed back to their respective sides. Everyone got into position and another game started immediately. Hiei scoffed as Yusuke whooped in amusement when Chu's energy blast didn't push him off his feet. With a scowl the fire demon turned and entered the temple to take a long anticipated shower. Emi watched him go sadly before her attention was once again dragged into the game.

* * *

Kurama Kurama Kurama….what exactly are your intentions. Hmm… Truthfully, I have no idea where it's going. But Mukuro and Kurama are now messing around so let's see how things will go. The little green monster is coming out to play on both sides. This is going to be fun. :3 Review please! Any ideas would be real helpful!


	17. Chapter 15

An Eternity of Lies Ch. 15

* * *

I'm sorry for the late update! Only one day though…right? I'm really sorry. But I hope you all enjoy it just the same. :D

Thanks for the reviews Roses-of-Envy and SakiHanajima1! Thanks so much for all the ideas too! I really like the ideas you all gave me and I will try to incorporate them one way or another. And yes Kurama is definitely going to be the sneaky mischievous fox he is and always will be. As for Mukuro, she's kind of unintentionally riling Emi up right now…But! She will start to notice something eventually. She wasn't one of the three kings without being perceptive. :3

* * *

"_Heh, you're quite clever when you put your mind to mischief." – Hiei_

* * *

"I can't believe we lost," Kuwabara whined.

"Means you all have to buy us dinner," Yusuke taunted.

"I don't have money," Emi mumbled.

"It's alright, I'll cover you," Kurama answered easily," It's not like you agreed in the first place."

"It's okay," Emi replied quickly," I could probably borrow some from Koenma. You've helped me so much as it is."

"Hey, how about you guys cook for us instead," Yusuke suggested," those pancakes this morning were pretty good."

"Yeah, a home cooked meal sounds great," Chu grinned," especially one made by such a cutie."

"You're such a flirt," Rinku muttered.

"At least he's not a pervert," Touya retorted good-naturedly.

"That was one time!" Rinku exclaimed in embarrassment.

The group let out a laugh and relaxed in their spots.

"I don't mind," Emi said," If it's all right with you Kurama. You're going to have to instruct me on what to do after all."

"It sounds more convenient than writing down all the food orders and picking them up," Kurama commented.

"Alright then," Emi said clapping her hands and standing up," we'll cook while you boys go clean up. I don't want savages at the dinner table."

"Yes mother," Yusuke grumbled sarcastically as he got up.

The rest of the boys followed his lead, stretching their arms and heading towards their respective rooms to grab their bathing supplies.

"Shall we?" Kurama asked as he got up and offered Emi a hand.

"We shall," Emi grinned as she took his hand and followed Kurama into the kitchen once she was on her feet.

* * *

Hiei let out a sigh as he exited the shower. These were one of the few times he could actually appreciate the ingenuity of the human race. Not that he would ever admit it out loud of course.

As he got dressed he heard a commotion outside of the bathroom. A shout was heard and something slammed into the door. Hiei stared at the rattling wood before turning around to gather his bathing supplies.

"Hey! Who's in there?" Yusuke screamed from the other side of the door.

"Yeah, stop hogging the shower," Kuwabara yelled.

Hiei rolled his eyes and picked up his discarded clothes. With a yank the bathroom door was opened and Hiei sidestepped and watched in amusement as Kuwabara fell forward onto the tiled floor, with Yusuke following closely behind him.

"Enjoy," Hiei said sarcastically with a smirk and walked over the tangle of bodies with a grin.

He left the two boys arguing and wrestling on the floor for bathroom rights. He quickly returned his supplies to his room and walked towards the living room. As he approached he could hear talking and laughing.

"You sure you don't want anyone to come with you to carry supplies?" Touya asked kindly.

"It's really alright," Emi answered.

"Yeah, let them have their alone time," Chu interrupted impishly.

"It will be like a date," Rinku added.

Hiei's brows furrowed in confusion. He walked up to the door and cleared his face of emotion before he slid the door open. The occupants of the room all turned to face him before returning their attention back to the two people standing in the doorway leading outside. Kurama was already standing on the grass while Emi stood on the porch putting on her shoes. Her hand was on Kurama's shoulder so that she could keep her balance. Hiei glared silently at the hand before tuning back into the conversation.

"Shouldn't you all be cleaning up?" Emi asked embarrassed.

"Oh, Yusuke and Kuwabara are fighting over the restrooms," Suzuki said airily," Besides, you two still need to buy ingredients and it's a long way to town."

"Don't take too long though," Shishiwakamaru said annoyed," I'm getting hungry."

"We'll get everything as fast as we can," Kurama promised.

Emi lightly stepped off the porch and turned to face the people sitting in the living room.

"Oh! Hiei!" Emi exclaimed," I didn't see you there."

"What's going on?" Hiei grunted.

"We lost a game, and so we need to provide dinner for the winners," Emi explained," but now we're just going to cook for everyone in the temple."

"We're getting ingredients from the supermarket downtown," Kurama continued on," Would you like to come with us?"

"Why would I do that?" Hiei said grumpily," The way I see it, I interact enough with humans in this temple."

"If you put it that way the human world doesn't sound very exciting," Emi mumbled.

"It's not," Hiei growled.

"Don't ruin it for her before she can even see it," Kurama admonished," I think Emi will like it."

"Do whatever you like," Hiei said with an eye roll," I could care less."

"Oh, okay then," Emi said quietly," We'll see you when we get back. I hope you'll stay for dinner. I'm cooking. With Kurama's help of course."

Hiei merely glanced at her before turning around and slamming the door behind him as he left the way he came. Emi watched him in sad confusion before Kurama placed his hand on her shoulder and steered her towards the temple steps. Emi looked up at the fox and was met with a smile.

"Why don't we get the ingredients," Kurama confronted," I'm sure he'll cheer up once he tastes your cooking."

"Sounds like a plan," Emi answered with renewed vigor.

* * *

Koenma stared apprehensively at the small compact mirror in his hand. The mirror like screen currently showed live footage from his former office in spirit world. He frowned when he noticed the paperwork strewn across the floor and the overturned table. The office was a complete mess. The people who had been sent in to search it had completely ransacked the area. Thankfully, nothing of real importance was placed in that room.

He let out a sigh before pressing a small arrow like button on the side of the console. The scene on the screen switched to his former bedroom. Feathers littered the area and the sheets were torn, drawers were pulled out and thrown askew. The hidden cameras he had placed all over the room hadn't been found thankfully. Koenma mentally thanked his technology department for creating them and not getting them authorized by his father before he escaped. He flipped through a few more angles of his room before taking a deep breath. It was time to test out whether or not the camera were actually as undetectable as they were supposed to be.

His finger pressed down once more on the arrow. The screen flickered for a moment before turning to a meeting room. In the meeting room sat his father and his father's counsel members. They all had apprehensive looks on their faces. Some of their faces were so pinched and scrunched it looked like they had never smiled a day in their lives. Enma sat in his huge throne at the very end of the table. His large frame took up most of the camera screen and his angry eyes were level to the camera. Koenma let out a short gasp.

"Bring in the SDF," Enma commanded. His voice echoed throughout the room.

A group of bright lights flew in from the doorway and landed in the center of the room. As the lights dimmed the figured of the SDF could be seen.

"You called my lord," the leader stated.

"Yes," Enma answered," What have you to report."

"The young prince Koenma had defected and escaped with the body of the traitorous former queen. The ogres under his command also rebelled and have been dealt with accordingly."

"Then I am assuming you have captured a few for leverage?" Enma said.  
"Yes, we were able to subdue a group," the captain replied.

"Bring him in," Enma commanded.

One of the members disappeared in a burst on light. A few moments of tense silence passed before he returned. This time he was on foot and dragging a struggling ogre behind him. There were chains wrapped tightly around the prisoner and every movement caused them to rattle. The SDF member threw the blue ogre to the floor. And the ogre struggled and squirmed until he was in a kneeling position, but was quickly kicked back down.

"So this is one of the traitors," Enma stated venomously.

"From our information it seems he was the prince's right hand man," the commander stated.

"Call him by his name or call him a traitor, that damned son of mine no longer deserves his title," Enma snarled.

"Of course sir," the commander quickly amended," I meant Koenma had this blue filth at his side at all times."

Miles from the room Koenma watched angrily as George was once again kicked down. He noticed the ogre was covered in bruised and one of his eyes was even sealed shut from the abuse. A small part on him let out a sigh of relief that his friend was still alive, but another wondered whether or not death would have been a more merciful fate.

"Ogre, if you tell me the traitors plans you will be freed and rewarded," Enma bargained," I will even let your fellow prisoners go."

"I know nothing," George replied," but even if I did, I would never tell the likes of you."

"I see," Enma said," that is unfortunate."

Enma lifted his hand and gave a small flick of his wrist. The SDF took this as a signal and held the ogre up enough so another member could punch him in the stomach. The two members holding George up kept him from curling up from the blows.

"What about now?" Enma asked sinisterly," Do you remember any of his plans?"

George spit out the blood that had pooled in his mouth and lifted his bowed head. He lifted his eyes and glared into Enma's.

"No," George answered defiantly.

Enma let out a roar of anger and the beating continued. The council watched nervously as their king watched the ogre receive the hits gleefully. The SDF slowed down hesitantly when George started to lose consciousness.

"Who told you to stop?" Enma screamed.

The SDF exchanged glances before continuing. A brave member of the council stood up and demanded they stop. He straightened his robes and Enma turned to glare at him. The council member's dark blue eyes lowered to the tabletop and his baldhead bowed submissively.

"Who dares defy me?" Enma yelled.

"My king, if they continue to hit the ogre he will die," the council member explained anxiously," he is the closest lead we have to finding the traitorous prince. I do not mean to defy you, but please think of the benefits keeping him alive will bring."

Enma took deep breaths and slowly calmed down. His expression became thoughtful and he let out a long sigh.  
"Take him away," Enma said airily," I'm sick of looking at the disgusting creature."

A SDF member grabbed a chain and started to drag the ogre's bloody unconscious body out the door. For a few moments the room was completely silent.

"For now, I want every member of the palace watched," Enma said," Anyone who shows allegiance to Koenma will be put on trial and most likely executed. As for the Takahashi Emi. She is most likely back in her body by now."

"But her soul was in the labyrinth sir," a SDF member commented.

"That damn boy had his little band of demons on his side. I hate to say it but they have defied the odds before. We must assume that she is in fact alive. I want four of the SDF members to search the human world for her. Capture her on sight and dispose of anyone who is seen aiding her," Enma ordered.

Four members of the SDF stood and bowed before disappearing out the door in bright flashes of lights.

"How do you know she is in the demon world, sir?" another council member asked.

"That is where Koenma's little demon group likes to stay, and it will be the first place he goes for assistance," Enma explained tiredly.

The council gave nods of agreement.

"Until she is found I want the rest of you to gather the troops. I sense a war brewing," Enma growled out.

Silence met his declaration and the room's occupants sat stiff and frozen.  
"Well?" Enma shouted," Are you waiting for an invitation? Get out!"

Everyone scrambled to the exits and ran out the doors. Enma slumped back in his seat as the room was cleared. He reached up and rubbed his temples.

"I'll find you," Enma declared quietly," And once I do, you'll wish you're soul was destroyed in the labyrinth."

His arm fell to his side and he glared up in front of him.

Koenma slammed the communicator shut and threw it across the room. His heart beat erratically and he grabbed his chest and took deep breaths to calm down the beating organ. He was positive Enma didn't know about the camera, but he could still his father's piercing glare going straight through his soul. A few moments later he was started to feel calmer. His eyes sharpened with resolve and he jumped off his bed. He had to find his mother and make sure she was safe. Then he would really need to start planning and gaining allies. George was probably being beaten daily. He needed to save him and any surviving ogres before it was too late.

* * *

Kuwabara let out a huge sigh of relief as he exited the shower. Yusuke had thrown him out of the bathroom and hogged it, but he got to use it afterwards and the shower just washed away any anger he felt towards the situation. He took a deep breath and walked out of the bathroom. Steam filtered out the doorway passed him and he made sure the towel around his waist was secure before he started his trek towards his room.

Down the hall a door was slammed open behind him. He turned curiously and was met with a fast moving and hysterical toddler bowling right into his chest and knocking him onto his behind.

"Ow, what the heck?" Kuwabara screamed as he sat up.

Koenma fell onto Kuwabara's lap holding his head and curling up into a fetal position. He held his head and rocked back and forth. Kuwabara glared down at the toddler before standing up and dropping the child onto the ground.

"What's got you in such a hurry?" Kuwabara grumbled down at the toddler.

"Where's my mom?" Koenma asked while rubbing his head.

"She's probably at the grocery store by now," Kuwabara mumbled thoughtfully," You could ask the others."

"Okay, right, thanks," Koenma replied absentmindedly before getting up and running towards the living room.

"You're welcome," Kuwabara grumbled under his breath and made his way towards his room.

Koenma jogged down the hallway. He was more alert this time. He didn't want to run into any other people. Especially if they were all going to be running around only clad in a towel. He grimaced. Okay. Don't even think about it. Unless it's Botan. Koenma's steps faltered and he barely caught himself as he stumbled. His cheeks burned red and he looked back and forth guiltily. Good thing there were no mind readers around. That would have been embarrassing.

He shook his head and continued jogging. His mind wandered for a bit before he recalled his conversation with Kuwabara. The words grocery store echoed in his head multiple times. He paused in his strides and tilted his head thoughtfully. There weren't any grocery stores nearby. Wait! That would mean his mom was out of the barrier. His eyes widened comically and his back straightened. With a scream he pelted full speed towards the living room and slammed the door open. The room's occupants froze and stared at him. For several moments nobody moved.

"Where's my mom?" Koenma screamed hysterically.

"She went to buy groceries," Rinku replied hesitantly.

"What? She can't do that," Koenma yelled," Who's with her? Don't tell me you guys let her go alone?"

"She's fine," Yusuke commented airily," she's with Kurama. Worst case scenario, Kurama makes a move."

"No!" Koenma shouted," Go find her right now!"

"Why?" Kuwabara asked as he approached behind Koenma.

"My dad's sent the SDF to find her in the human world! What if she gets captured? My dad will kill her," Koenma wailed.

"Those wimps?" Yusuke scoffed," Kurama can take them easily."

Koenma stood in the doorway and fumed. His tiny fists were clenched at his side and with a huff he turned around and stomped past Kuwabara. Yusuke rolled his eyes and returned back to the conversation he was having before Koenma barged in. Kuwabara shrugged his shoulder and joined the former detective.

Outside a tree branch rustled. The figure that had been perched on it was already long gone. Out in the distance a small black figure could be seen rapidly leaving the area. Mukuro looked out her window from her room. She wondered what could have caused Hiei to move so quickly and abruptly. Well, it wasn't something she was going to investigate just yet. With that she made herself comfortable in her bed and took out a book. She would wait until he got back to question him.

* * *

Emi got off the bus with the help of Kurama. It was early evening and she hadn't known there would be so many people on the bus. Her legs shook slightly and she followed Kurama unsteadily. Who would have thought humans stood up when they traveled. If it hadn't been for Kurama she would have fallen on her face numerous times. A steadying hand made its way to her upper back. Emi looked up and found her eyes meeting Kurama's. Her cheeks heated slightly at the touch and she thanked him quietly. Kurama nodded in reply and continued leading her down the street.

Up above, two pairs of brown eyes narrowed onto the pair before looking up to meet each other. With a nod the two figures leapt from the light fixtures and headed towards a warehouse on the outskirts of town. A minute later a figure completely garbed in black landed on one of the light posts. Two ruby red eyes burned into Emi's back as it disappeared into a nearby grocery store. Behind her, Kurama followed, but not before turning to look around the street wearily. Hiei growled under his breath. He wouldn't be able to keep track of them without Kurama or Emi feeling him invade their minds. With a huff he leapt down and walked across the street. The SDF might be in there waiting he told himself. He was definitely not following them to make sure Kurama didn't try anything.

* * *

Hiei slid into an aisle and peeked around the shelf. In front of him was the produce section of the store, and in front of it stood Emi and Kurama. They were trying to choose tomatoes and Emi's face was scrunched up in concentration as she inspected each one carefully. Kurama stood next to her with a smile and helped her choose. Hiei watched unimpressed. It was a tomato, they didn't have to flirt over the stupid fruit. He unconsciously growled in displeasure and quickly retreated when Emi turned to get some squash behind her. He leaned against an aisle of instant ramen for a moment before standing straight and crossing his arms.

"Hello Hiei, seems like you decided to come after all," Kurama greeted with faintly hidden amusement.

Hiei froze and cursed himself under his breath. One moment of inattention and he was caught. He turned around slowly and was met with Emi's curious gaze. Kurama grinned widely at him and leaned forward with his arms on the handle bar on the cart.

"Koenma sent me," Hiei lied emotionlessly," Seems Enma has sent out the SDF to find the girl."

"I have a name you know," Emi grumbled.

Hiei ignored her to have a glaring match with Kurama. Well, he was glaring while Kurama's eyes scrunched up in amusement. Hiei scoffed and turned away.

"You shouldn't be wandering around so carelessly," Hiei scolded monotonously," You're the most wanted person in all of the three worlds right now. The least you could do is stop flirting and make it easier on everyone who is working towards overthrowing Enma."

Emi frowned and stared at her shoes for a moment before lifting her head up defiantly.

"I'm part of the effort too," Emi began," besides, if no one is well fed then we won't be half as effective. And you shouldn't be talking about flirting. Since when was the great Hiei so complacent towards anyone? Should I know if there's something going on with you and Mukuro?"

"It's none of your business," Hiei growled," and she can protect herself unlike you."

"My powers are all about protection you dumbass," Emi retorted," Let's go Kurama."

She stomped past Hiei and Kurama followed with the cart. He stopped when his shoulder was aligned with Hiei's.

"I know you're worried, but let her move around a bit," Kurama suggested in a whisper," She's more than capable that protecting herself, and she isn't alone."

"No one asked for your opinion," Hiei snarled before walking towards the front exit.

Kurama shrugged and continued following Emi. He looked back to see Hiei turning the corner. In front of him, Emi was reaching for a can of chicken broth on the top shelf. Kurama grinned and made his way over to her quickly.

"Let me help you with that," he said louder than he necessarily had to.

He walked forward and trapped Emi between the shelf and his torso as he reached over her head. From the corner of his eye he saw Hiei's seething red eyes glaring into his head before the fire demon stomped out the exit.

He grinned to himself and handed the can to Emi. She thanked him in confusion and went to drop the can into the cart. Kurama's grin transformed into a smirk when her back was turned, and he went back to his spot behind the cart. He wondered when Hiei would finally snap. Kurama hoped it would be soon. Emi walked beside him looking left and right in amazement. She was completely oblivious to Kurama's thoughts.

"Oh! I forgot to ask Hiei what he wanted for dinner," Emi exclaimed.

"I'm sure he'll enjoy anything you make," Kurama replied easily.

"I hope so," Emi said with a grin before she started to peruse the herbs section.

* * *

"We found her," a garbled voice said through the communication speaker," would you like us to apprehend her now, sir?"

"No," Enma replied," Allow them a false sense of security for now. Let them get comfortable and attached to each other before we rip her away. I'm assuming she was in fact with my traitorous son and his pose?"

"Yes sir," the SDF member replied," She was with the fox avatar. And they were grocery shopping I believe."

"How disgustingly domestic," Enma sneered," Keep a close watch on them. And report any trips they have out of the barrier she erected."

"When would you suggest we capture her?" the SDF questioned.

"The time will come soon," Enma replied sinisterly," the technology department is creating a suppressor for her powers."

"Is there such thing sir?" asked the soldier.

"There will soon be," Enma smirked," And we even have some Takahashi's who have volunteered their services."

As if on cue a scream echoed through the speakers. The SDF member tensed and could feel sweat beading on his brow.

"I expect nothing but positive results from my SDF," Enma commanded," don't fail me."

"Of course, sir," the SDF member bowed.

Without further ado the communicator disconnected. The SDF let out a sigh they didn't know they were holding. The member with the communicator slowly lowered the compact into his pocket with shaking hands. He took some deep breaths to calm his quivering voice.

"You heard the king," he said," station yourselves throughout the city and report any sightings of the former queen, the traitor and his allies."

The other three members bowed and disappeared in bright yellow streaks of light. For a moment the leader of the squad stood in the warehouse alone. He closed his eyes and clenched his fist. It was treason to question his king, but he wondered if the man he followed now was the same man he had respected centuries ago. He shook his head and grimaced. He was a member of the SDF and should not have such thoughts. With a nod he blanked out his mind, gathered his energy, and leapt. A streak of light exited the warehouse as he made his way towards the bus station nearest the temple.

* * *

Hey guys! Once again I apologize for updating one day late. But yeah. I hope you all enjoy it. I know some of you want to know how Emi would react to a human shopping mall. And I am planning to write that eventually. Maybe as a separate chapter or an omake. I don't know yet. I can't really think of any scenarios yet. Strange since it's a shopping trip and not some epic fight scene…. . But I'm definitely wracking my brain. But until then I guess.

Review please! :)


	18. Chapter 16

An Eternity of Lies Ch. 15

* * *

Thanks for the reviews MoonShard Kuronue and Roses-of-Envy!

* * *

"_I may be a small target but this is just sad." – Hiei_

* * *

Kurama restrained a smirk as he made his way around the kitchen towards the fridge. Behind him, Hiei sat in the windowsill glaring daggers into his back. Besides him Emi was entirely focused on cutting a tomato into nice even slices and was none the wiser to the two males and their activities. A loud exclamation made its way to his ears and his eyes whipped around to focus on Emi. She was holding her finger and a small bead of blood was welling up from a small knife wound.

"Let me see that," Kurama said gently and reached for her hand.

Emi's hand though, disappeared from his sight. Kurama heard Emi let out a small squeak of surprise and he watched amusedly as Hiei grabbed her wrist and dragged her to the sink. He had to turn away to hide his snickers when Hiei glared at him as if to tell him to back off.

"You stupid idiot," Hiei growled as he turned on the sink and shoved Emi's hand under the flowing water.

"It wasn't on purpose," Emi grumbled under her breath.

For a few moments the two stood in silence. Both watching as the blood was washed away. Emi's eyes darted towards the hand that was still gripping her wrist before looking at Hiei's face. The fire demon was staring at her finger and avoiding her gaze.

"Hiei," Emi murmured softly.

Hiei's gaze traveled up her arm and met hers. Their eyes locked and Emi opened her mouth to speak. Suddenly the door behind her slammed open and Kuwabara stuck his head through the door.

"Is the food done yet? I'm starving," Kuwabara exclaimed.

Silence greeted him and he looked around the kitchen and took stock of the situation. He noticed Kurama standing at the stove stirring something in a pot first. Before his gaze slid over to the sink and the two people in front of it.

"Am I missing something?" Kuwabara muttered in confusion when his eyes landed on their positions.

Hiei growled under his breath and let go of Emi's wrist. He turned away and stomped back to the windowsill. Emi flushed and retracted her hand from under the water and reached for a paper towel. An awkward silence permeated the room for a moment.

"Dinner will be done soon Kuwabara," Kurama said as he took pity on the embarrassed pair," Why don't you go gather the others and get a band aid for Emi?"

"Uh, right," Kuwabara answered hesitantly before motioning Emi to follow him.

Emi quickly ran over, desperate to escape the stifling silence, and Kuwabara closed the door behind her before leading her away. Silence overtook the kitchen once more.

"That was very nice of you Hiei," Kurama said impishly," I didn't think you would be so nice as to volunteer to oversee the cooking and make sure all injuries were taken care of."

He received no answer and he chuckled under his breath as he felt an intense glare once more burning into the back of his head.

"Would you take care of my injuries as well?" Kurama continued," I might get burned from the oil I'm using to deep fry the kitchen."

A snarl was heard behind him before he felt a breeze against the back of his neck. Kurama turned his head slightly and noticed the empty windowsill and the wide-open window. He finally let out a soft laugh and brought his focus back to the food. He shook his head in amusement. Yes, agitating the fire demon was just too much fun.

* * *

Koenma watched from the doorway as Yukina put a Band-Aid over Emi's cut. A frown marred his features and his focus was only partially on what was in front of him. He was relieved that his mother was safe. And while he did not like seeing her injured in any way, he had to admit. Having her cut from a knife while cooking was much better than her being injured or kidnapped by the SDF.

Emi thanked Yukina and looked over at Koenma. He hadn't budged from his position and seemed to be lost in thought. She grinned and reached over. Both of her hands landed on his sides.

With a jolt, Koenma's train of thought was broken as he found himself airborne. He flailed his legs uselessly until he realized it was Emi who had lifted him up without warning. His movement stopped and he was gently placed onto Emi's lap.

"What's on your mind?" Emi asked quietly.

For a moment Koenma did not answer. He was content to sit there and revel in his mother's warmth. They hadn't had any alone time in a while.

"I'm just glad you're safe," Koenma answered quietly.

"Because of Enma's orders?" Emi asked rhetorically.

A nod was her response and she smiled sadly. She rested her cheek on Koenma's head and hugged him to herself.

"I finally have you back," Koenma murmured," And I finally know the truth. If dad finds you I doubt you will live through it. I'm sure this time your soul will be destroyed."

"That's probably true," Emi nodded.

"That's why you can't go out of the temple grounds," Koenma stated with conviction," And we always need to know where you are."  
"I don't think we need to go to such extremes," Emi replied," I'm not totally helpless."  
"It's the SDF mom!" Koenma exclaimed," They were hand picked by dad for a reason."

"I know you worry for me," Emi said calmly," But stopping our own lives in fear of Enma and his childish ways will mean we are doing, as he wants us to. Besides, by the off chance that we are separated, wouldn't you want to make the most of the time we have left together?"

"I don't want to even think about a scenario where we lose," Koenma said stubbornly.

"I'm sure you don't," Emi humored," So why are we even having this conversation?"

Koenma opened his mouth to reply, but no words came out. He closed his mouth slowly, completely stumped. Yeah, why were they having this conversation. He lifted his head and looked up to meet eyes with Emi. He noticed her wide grin and huffed. He crossed his arms and looked away to hide his blush. Emi giggled.

"I outsmarted a prince," Emi taunted," I feel so accomplished."

Koenma scoffed and stubbornly kept his eyes on the wall. Emi's smile never left her face as she lifted Koenma up and stood up with him in her arms.

"Well, I've left Kurama with the cooking long enough," Emi said as she headed down the hallway," Let's see if there's anything else that needs to be done before dinner time."

Koenma rested his chin on her shoulder and stared sullenly down the hallway. His mouth was set in a cute pout and he refused to answer as he stewed in his embarrassment.

* * *

Around the corner Hiei leaned against a wall with his eyes closed and arms crossed. His eyes opened slowly and a grim expression overtook his face. The SDF were involved now, which meant Enma would be making a move soon. He frowned thoughtfully. Tonight, after dinner, he would call a meeting he decided. Everyone was too relaxed and idle. It was time to really start discussing strategies and gaining allies. This wasn't just a territorial war after all. It was a war that would decide the fate of the three worlds.

Hiei rolled his eyes. In all his years he never would have thought he would be involved in something so big. Especially since he was such a selfish creature. His thoughts went to Emi for a moment and her former marriage to Enma. Hiei let out an angry growl. Well, he did hate Enma with a passion. And Emi was formally the spirit king's wife. And what better way to destroy a man than take away his kingdom and everything he held in his possession? A menacing grin made its way across Hiei's face. Now that was incentive to join this war.

Hiei started walking down the hallway in the same direction Emi had gone. His mind was completely focused on the impending war and the bloodshed that would follow. When he opened the door to the eating area he noticed everyone was already there. He watched intently as Emi placed the rice cooker on the table and started dishing out helpings to the room's occupants. She looked up and smiled at him and motioned for him to sit down. Hiei smirked. Well, technically he owned her already. From the corner of his eye he noticed Kurama walk over and offer to scoop the rice so Emi could start eating. His smirk turned into a scowl when he watched Emi's attention redirect to the fox. He turned and stomped to the windowsill instead.

Emi got up to bring him a bowl of rice, but Kurama took it and brought it over instead. Hiei growled just low enough for Kurama to hear.

"She worked hard on the meal you know," Kurama whispered," The last thing you want to do is refuse it out of petty jealousy."

"I'm not jealous," Hiei snarled stubbornly and grabbed the offered bowl and pair of chopsticks.

Kurama smiled indulgently and turned back to sit at the table. His eyes met Hiei's as he took his place beside Emi. Hiei could see the challenge for what it was. So Enma wasn't his only enemy then, Hiei thought. He gave the fox an intense glare and stood up swiftly. He walked towards the table and slammed the bowl on the table across from where Emi was sitting. He plopped down and knocked Kuwabara over before he started to eat. Silence met his actions. And all eyes watched him.

"What?" Hiei snarled nastily.  
"Nothing," Kuwabara said hesitantly as he got back up and situated himself further down the table.

"Glad you could join us Hiei," Kurama said amusedly.

Hiei growled and continued eating. Around him, the others started to follow his example. When he was about halfway done he allowed himself to lift his head and look around. His eyes met with Emi's and he was met with a dazzling smile, as she watched him enjoy the food. Hiei quickly looked away and returned his attention to his meal. He refused to admit that all his anger melted away. Seems doing something this insignificant could satisfy her. A small sense of pride welled up in him. Only he could induce this kind of reaction from her, he thought with satisfaction. With that in mind, he continued to eat with gusto, ignoring the chatter around him.

Diagonally from him, a mischievous fox watched the range of emotions flash across the fire demon's face. Looks like his match making was working after all. He felt eyes on him and turned his head to meet eyes with Mukuro.

The former demon lord raised an eyebrow in amusement and took another bite of her food. Their gazes did not disconnect and Kurama came to the realization that Mukuro understood what he was doing. She gave him a nod and broke their eye contact. Kurama couldn't hide the grin that made its way across his face. Well, looks like he now had a partner in crime.

* * *

Mukuro slipped out the door and leaned against a tree nearest to the living room entrance. The back of her head lightly met the tree bark as she looked up into the dark canopy of leaves. With her demonic vision she could see the dark figure perched in the tree branches. Hiei sat above her, one leg was hanging off the branch, the other was bent, and his arm rested on his knee. His attention was focused on the scene within the kitchen. Mukuro too looked through the kitchen window and watched as Emi and Yukina washed dishes and conversed.

"So, when were you going to tell me of your relationship with Enma's ex-wife?" Mukuro asked.

"There is nothing to tell," Hiei grumbled after a few moments pause.

"You and I both know your mother's tear gem would be in my possession otherwise," Mukuro stated.

"I don't know what you mean," Hiei continued to deny.

"So, it was only me who felt the camaraderie between us?" Mukuro asked quietly.

Silence answered her and she sighed at Hiei's stubbornness.

"We are extremely similar Hiei, but at the same time our pasts were completely different, but painful all the same," Mukuro started," We have traded out stories, and as such, I thought perhaps we had gotten past keeping secrets."

"It wasn't a secret," Hiei answered solemnly," She was dead until a few weeks ago."

"And yet you still held on," Mukuro finished his unspoken words.

Hiei nodded above her.

"It's admirable, the loyalty you hold towards her," Mukuro commented," I'm a bit envious even."

Hiei looked down at her in mild shock and Mukuro let out a chuckle.

"Oh, don't worry," Mukuro said in amusement," I had no misconceptions that there could be anything more between us than a strong loyal friendship. You're too short for me anyways."

Hiei twitched and let out an indignant scoff. Mukuro finally gave out a short laugh at that before her expression sobered.

"But we are approaching war, and the last thing you want to do is stall and lose what is in front of you," Mukuro stated seriously," Give it some thought."

"You're starting to sound like the fox," Hiei grumbled.

"Then I must be right," Mukuro chuckled.

With that Mukuro pushed from the tree and started heading back inside. Hiei huffed and slouched on the tree branch. His focus went back to the kitchen to watch his sister and Emi. Mukuro gave him one last glance before she walked inside and quietly slid the door closed behind her. When she turned around she was met with an amused fox demon.

"Meddling in other people's affairs I see," Kurama commented airily.

"Just as you have been for the last few days?" Mukuro questioned with the same tone.

"Looks like I've been caught," Kurama grinned.

"Trust me," Mukuro replied as she sat down," You were anything but discreet."

"And yet only you noticed," Kurama retorted.

Mukuro finally let a grin grace her scarred face as she joined Kurama at the table.

"What are you doing here?" Mukuro asked curiously.

"I was thinking of calling another meeting once Emi is done in the kitchen," Kurama said as a serious look overtook his face," It seems Enma is making his move."

"Sounds reasonable," Mukuro muttered," We've been idle for a bit too long."

"I'm sure Hiei would agree," Kurama said.

"He'd agree to anything that would lead to bloodshed," Mukuro commented.

"And you are not of the same mind?" Kurama asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you implying that I am a savage?" Mukuro asked in mock anger.

"And if I am?" Kurama grinned as he leaned forward.  
"Perhaps I will have to prove you right," Mukuro grinned feraly as she too leaned forward.

They stared at each other, their faces only a few centimeters apart. Finally, Kurama blinked in defeat before he placed his hands behind him and leaned back.

"Ah, the disadvantages of a human body," Kurama lamented half-heartedly.

"I didn't think you would be a sore loser," Mukuro taunted in amusement.

"I guess I am," Kurama chuckled.

The door to the kitchen slid open and Yukina stepped out from behind it.

"Oh, I didn't know there were still people here," she said in surprise.

"Would you like us to leave?" Kurama asked nicely.

"Oh no, we just need to wipe the table," Yukina said as she lifted up a damp washcloth.

"Of course," Mukuro answered and moved back from the table.

Yukina walked forward and proceeded to wipe down the wood thoroughly. Behind her back Mukuro and Kurama traded glances. Both smirked at each other. Their little verbal spar had been enjoyable, and they both wanted a repeat.

"I'll win next time," Kurama mouthed.

In reply, Mukuro challengingly whispered," I'd like to see you try."

Yukina looked up in confusion before finishing up and returning to the kitchen.

* * *

"The SDF is scouring the city for Emi as we speak," Koenma said from his seat," They are looking for any traces of Emi and people known to be associated with me. I'm almost positive they already know we are taking refuge in Genkai's temple, and are waiting to strike once we leave the premises."

"Does Enma know that we are here?" Yomi asked contemplatively.

"So far, I don't think he realizes your presense," Koenma answered," We were able to set up the barrier before you arrival after all."

"Then let's keep it that way," Mukuro nodded," Enma probably doesn't know that much about our involvement with the boys since the tournament was in demon world and out of his jurisdiction."

"But don't they have tapes of the fights," Kurama interrupted.

"We do," Koenma said," But they were placed in the regular vault for the records."

"And that is important why?" Yusuke snarked.

"I hate to say it, but the ogres were extremely incompetent when it came to organization," Koenma mumbled in embarrassment," So anyone who opens the vault doors will be subjected to an avalanche of unlabeled tapes. Not to mention they aren't in the restricted section, so people won't be going there first to look for information."

"Enma won't be looking for information on any of you anyways," Emi commented from his side," One of his many faults is that he always underestimates his opponents. Once the boys were retired, he most likely would have taken his attention off of them since they are no longer his concern. Any new powers or skills won't be in his records and he won't be looking for them either."

"That is a huge advantage on our side," Yomi murmured," But I doubt Enma has gotten this far by being foolish."  
"You are right," Emi answered," He may not take in his enemy's powers into account, but he does have enough information for blackmail and such. After all, it is one thing to beat someone down, but another to completely destroy their loved ones in front of them. He had driven his enemies to suicide in this way, and he didn't even have to lift a finger."

"That's disgusting," Kuwabara snarled.

"Yes, but it works," Hiei said solemnly.

"He's already started," Koenma whispered," He has George and a few others captive."

"That bastard," Yusuke growled.

"He's most likely going to be sending us a message telling us he has them," Emi murmured.

"How? He can't get passed the barrier," Kuwabara commented.

"Yes, but he knows I'm here. Which means I can sense if the barrier is being tampered with," Emi answered.

As if on cue, her head lifted as she felt something hit the barrier with great force.

"Well, speak of the devil," Emi said," There's something attacking the barrier at the bottom of the stairs."

"I'll go check it out," Yusuke volunteered," He already knows I'm a part of this."

"I'll join you," Kurama said as he got up.

The two boys headed out and the rest of the room's occupants waited in anticipation.

* * *

Yusuke and Kurama sped down the stairs and stopped right in front of the yellow ropes. Across from them stood two male members of the SDF. One was blonde, and the other had blue hair.

"We have a message for the two traitors of the spirit world," one of them said.

"Anything you wish to say, you can say to us," Kurama said.

"Yeah, we'll pass it on," Yusuke taunted," You can trust us."

"I won't say anything to you disgusting half-breed filth," the blue-haired one snarled.

"You just did," Yusuke deadpanned.

The blonde grabbed hold of his partner as he was about to lunge and motioned with his chin to the barrier. The blue-head calmed down slightly and threw an envelope at the barrier. Sensing no threat, the barrier allowed the packet of paoers through.

"Make sure they get it," the blue-haired SDF snarled before they both turned and disappeared in bright flashes of light.

"Well, wasn't he just a ray of sunshine," Yusuke grumbled.

Kurama chuckled and reached down, picking up the packet.

"We should bring this to the others," Kurama said.

"Yeah, yeah," Yusuke said as he turned.

They both walked back the way they came.

"Yay, stairs," Yusuke grumbled sarcastically." I just love those."

Kurama's chuckles could be heard as they walked away from the barrier.

* * *

Hey guys! So here's the next chapter! Looks like Enma is started his evil tactics. What will he do I wonder. Hmm…..we will see I guess. Until next time.

Read and review! :)


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